On Tuesday, August 18th, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said in a press briefing that the woman who killed a pedestrian in an accident in downtown Los Angeles, California, is going to state prison. Maria Perez, 59, received a three-year sentence.
The DA’s office said that the woman’s sentence came after she pleaded no contest to a felony count of hit-and-run driving resulting in the death of a pedestrian, Byern Smith. The defendant struck the 51-year-old man on May 7th, as he walked near Seventh and Lawrence streets.
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The Los Angeles Police Department said Perez came out of her car, but later got back in and fled the scene without calling for help or rendering aid to the injured man. On May 17th, a sergeant spotted a 2005 Scion xB matching the woman’s car’s description and placed her under arrest. There is no additional information.
When an accident occurs, it invokes a flight or fight response in those involved due to fear of the legal consequences that might arise. The California Vehicle Code provides that a person involved in an accident must stop at the scene, call for help, assist an injured person, and remain until the first responders arrive.
If there is no injury or death, but there’s damage to property, the person must locate the owner, and exchange contact and insurance information before leaving. Failure to do any of this amounts to leaving the scene of an accident, and offenders are liable to face severe punishment.
Disclaimer: The Safety Watch article you just read includes information obtained from numerous sources. These sources include, but are not limited to, websites and press releases from law enforcement, the county coroner, fire departments, and other news outlets. While we strive to provide readers with the most accurate information, sometimes the information received is not entirely accurate. For complete details, please refer to an official police report.
The articles published contain sensitive subject matter that may be hard to read by some. We understand that losing a loved one is hard and devastating. Safety Watch’s decision to share the stories is to help others who may be facing the same situations by providing appropriate resources to the general public.