A juvenile riding a bicycle was struck by a vehicle in the Smith Street area of Chester, South Carolina, on Tuesday, and the driver left the scene without stopping before turning up at the police department hours later to report that she might have hit something. The child was taken to a hospital, and the woman behind the wheel now faces a hit-and-run charge.
According to WCCB Charlotte, the Chester Police Department is investigating the incident, which happened while the juvenile was riding a bike in the Smith Street area. The vehicle involved was described as a black SUV that left the area without stopping. As reported by WSOC-TV, the crash happened Tuesday on Smith Street in Chester.
The driver eventually arrived at the Chester Police Department after expressing concern that she may have struck something earlier in the day, the station's report states. She identified Smith Street as the location of the incident. Per WCCB Charlotte, she told investigators she felt she had struck something while transporting her daughter to softball practice, and separately said she turned around to tend to her infant, who needed a bottle, when she heard a thump.
Damage to the SUV Matched the Report
Officers observed minor visible damage to the front hood of the GMC SUV she was driving, per the same account from WSOC-TV. The injured juvenile was transported to CMC Levine Children's Hospital in Charlotte for medical treatment, the outlet reported, though further details about the child's age, identity, or the extent of the injuries have not been released.
The woman was transported to the Chester County Detention Center, where she will be charged with hit-and-run resulting in bodily injury, according to the station's report. Police did not release the driver's name. The investigation remains ongoing, and no additional details about how the crash occurred have been made public.
South Carolina Law on Hit-and-Run Injuries
Under South Carolina's code governing hit-and-run offenses, a person can face a fine of not less than $1,000 or imprisonment of up to 10 years when injury results, according to the South Carolina Code of Laws. The statute also bars someone without a valid license from obtaining one for five years following a conviction. It is not yet clear how the law will apply in this specific case.
Chester has seen a hit-and-run tragedy before. In 2015, a crash in the city killed an 11-year-old boy who was waiting at a bus stop, according to the Charlotte Observer. In that case, 57-year-old Michelle Johnson was booked into the Chester County Detention Center, the same facility where this week's suspect was taken following Tuesday's crash.
