In January of 2014, nine-year-old Tatyana Nevaeh Babineaux was struck and killed by a man driving a pickup as she made her way across Braesview Avenue on her way to school. The truck fled the scene, leaving onlookers stunned as they rushed to help the unconscious girl who later passed away because of her injuries.
The man driving was 39 year old Isidro Espinosa-Solis. After what happened, Espinosa-Solis briefly fled to Mexico, eventually returning to the border to meet authorities. On Wednesday afternoon on June 17, 2015, he was found guilty of failure to stop and render aid and sentenced to 20 years in prison. It took around 20 minutes for the jury to decide Espinosa-Solis’s fate.
Taking the stand in his own defense, Espinosa-Solis admitted to the cause of the crash: speeding and texting while driving.
While justice was ultimately served in this case, nothing can bring the smiling, happy little girl back to her family. This tragedy did, however, spark a movement to improve pedestrian safety in the North Side neighborhood where the accident occurred. While assessment and safety plans are critical to keep our children safe, it’s also important to understand the power each of us has behind the wheel.
The recent passing of the distracted driving ordinance is a much-needed step to reduce senseless scenarios like this from occurring with such frequency. Crosley Law Firm also encourages you to Hang Up and Drive to keep our streets safe while driving. And if you should ever find yourself in the unfortunate situation of dealing with an injury or loss as a result of someone else’s carelessness, please contact us today for a free case review and consultation. Our expert attorneys can help you seek the justice and compensation you deserve when someone recklessly compromises your safety.
Reference:
Casady, M. (2015, June 17). Man found guilty of killing 9-year-old pedestrian sentenced. MySA. Retrieved from http://www.mysanantonio.com/search/?action=search&channel=news%2Flocal&inlineLink=1&searchindex=gsa&query=%22Isidro+Espinosa-Solis%22
