A 77-year-old woman who killed a pedestrian with her car appeared to suggest she was the victim as she was sentenced to one year in prison and two years probation.
Donna Jacobs pleaded guilty to vehicular manslaughter after fatally running over 42-year-old Stephen Debow and leaving the scene last November in San Diego.
Debow died six days after Jacobs’ Hyundai Ioniq EV struck him as he crossed an unmarked pedestrian crossing. Jacobs’ car continued forward for about 20 metres while Debow was on its bonnet.
But Jacobs struck a completely unrepentant tone during Monday’s sentencing.
She told the court that she never saw Debow and thought she was being attacked when her windshield was smashed, she said. NBC San Diego.
“I didn’t see anyone or hear anyone,” he told the court. “I thought I was being attacked.”
Donna Jacobs pleaded guilty to vehicular manslaughter after fatally running over 42-year-old Stephen Debow and leaving the scene last November in San Diego.
Debow died six days after being struck by Jacobs’ Hyundai Ioniq while crossing an unmarked crosswalk.
Jacobs said she panicked and drove home and did not call police because she had no “useful” information to provide since she did not see her “attacker.”
“If I had known I was going to hit a human being, I would have done something about it,” Jacobs added.
Prosecutors said in court that Jacobs drove home after hitting Debow, called his insurance company and provided a false statement about the accident.
Jacobs also took his car to a body shop to try to conceal his involvement in the hit-and-run, a judge heard.
Debow’s friends were in court to speak before Jacobs’ sentencing and criticized her for leaving the scene of the accident.
Jacobs told the court she never saw Debow and thought she was being attacked when her windshield was smashed.
It took police several weeks to identify Jacobs as the driver who hit Debow.
Jacobs will likely spend his time in custody under house arrest due to his age and lack of criminal record.
Although the cause of the accident remains unknown, prosecutors said Jacobs received a message from Instacart at the time of the collision.
Debow’s friends were in court to speak before Jacobs’ sentencing and criticized her for leaving the scene of the accident.
“If you had done the right thing, I would have forgiven you, but you chose to shirk responsibility,” Michael Berardi said.
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