Patricia Maurer, 74, was arraigned on Monday due to her involvement in a fatal Pennsylvania hit-and-run crash that claimed the life of 26-year-old Kristy Bender.
Maurer is facing charges of careless driving and failure to render aid in an accident involving injury or death in connection with the April 27 hit-and-run crash in which Bender was fatally injured.
Although Maurer stated that she did not realize that she had hit anyone, Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman isn’t buying it. She claimed that, based upon the evidence which has been gathered by accident investigators, it seems impossible that Maurer couldn’t have known that she struck someone.
As well as the damage to the bumper, front headlight and passenger side mirror of the Camry, Ferman noted that Bender was struck with enough force to knock off her shoes and socks and toss her body into a nearby lawn area.
Maurer, however, has claimed that she did not see Bender walking along the roadway and did not realize what she had done. She said that she felt a bump, but didn’t stop to examine the damage until she arrived home. When she realized that she had damaged her vehicle, she contacted her son via text message to let him know and also contacted her insurance company to file a claim.
It wasn’t until 9:04 p.m., over seven hours after the accident, that Maurer’s relative contacted authorities to let them know of her possible involvement in the accident.
No charges have been filed against Maurer; however, she does face possible charges. If she is convicted of leaving the scene of an accident involving death or personal injury, which is a felony charge, she may face a mandatory sentence of one year in jail with a possible maximum sentence of 3 ½ to 7 years in prison.
As more witnesses come forward, this accident may become clearer; however, cases like these are not always easy to decide.
What do you think? Do you believe Maurer’s claim or do you think she deliberately left the accident scene, knowing that she had struck a pedestrian?
