Driver gets prison after hit-and-run that injured teen girl leaving Pass holiday event
A man in the country illegally, and who had previously been deported twice, will spend 12 years in prison for the hit-and-run accident that left a 14-year-old girl with serious injuries, according to a release from the District Attorney’s Office.
David Hernandez, 34, and a native of Honduras, pleaded guilty Thursday to felony leaving the scene of an accident. Judge Lisa Dodson sentenced Hernandez after he entered the plea.
Hernandez was headed east on U.S. 90 when his car hit and seriously injured Julia Usprich, who had just left Christmas in the Pass and was attempting to cross U.S. 90 just before 6 p.m. Dec. 7, 2018.
Hernandez never stopped, but multiple witnesses to the hit-and-run crash were able to provide a description of the car.
A short time later, a Harrison County sheriff’s deputy spotted the car and stopped it at the intersection of Menge Avenue and Freddie Frank Road. The deputy noticed heavy damage to the front end, including a dent in the hood and a shattered windshield.
During the investigation, authorities recovered a strand of hair and clothing fibers from the windshield of Hernandez’s car, which matched evidence from the hit-and-run crash.
Deputies determined Hernandez was was in the United States illegally, and found a Georgia I.D. with his photo and a fake name.
He later told authorities he had been previously deported twice from the United States.
Usprich suffered life-threatening injuries, including leg and skull fractures, but was able to recover after receiving treatment at the University of South Alabama Medical Center.
Several witnesses provided first aid to Usprich at the scene, which authorities say helped her survive.
“This conviction was the result of a timely and thorough investigation and cooperation among the Pass Christian Police Department, the Harrison County Sheriff’s Department and traffic investigators from the Biloxi Police Department,” District Attorney Joel Smith said in a release. “We are also grateful for the witnesses on scene who took care of Julia until she could be rushed to the hospital.”
