Man Awaiting Sentencing in Fatal Car Accident That Killed Child

Losing a loved one is one of the most difficult things one has to endure. However, when that loved one is a child who died as a result of a car accident, then the tragedy will resonate in the parents’ lives forever. One New Jersey family is now awaiting the sentencing of the man who was responsible for the loss of their daughter.

The fatal accident occurred last February when the child and her mother were hit by a man driving a sport utility vehicle. The man stated that after hitting the victims, he exited his vehicle and checked on them. He claimed that when he saw the grievously wounded child, he hastily drove from the scene. 

When New Jersey officials caught up with the driver, he chose to plead guilty to several charges, including leaving the scene without rendering aid for the child’s mother, who was also seriously injured. His sentencing hearing was recently postponed after the man’s attorney was unable to attend due to another obligation. The driver’s girlfriend was also implicated in the crime after she purportedly supported the man’s claim that the SUV had been stolen before the accident and also made efforts to alter the car’s appearance.

The woman who was charged with aiding in the cover-up requested entry into a pretrial program that would allow her arrest to be removed from her record if she completed the program requirements. The prosecutor objected to the request until after the driver was sentenced. Regardless of the time that the judge eventually determines will be suitable for the driver who killed their daughter in this tragic car accident, the surviving family members may still seek to file a wrongful death and personal injury civil suits. Doing so will not erase the emotional and physical pain that has been inflicted, but it can help ease the financial burdens that they are likely experiencing.

Source: nj.com, “Sentencing adjourned for man charged in fatal hit-and-run of 7-year-old“, Michaelangelo Conte, March 10, 2017