Motorist Who Fled After Hitting Child Said He Feared Crowd
posted March 17, 2006

A motorist who struck a six-year-old child with his vehicle and then fled said he ran because he was afraid he would be killed by a crowd.

Officer Kenneth Hogans testified on Friday that is what Rozelio Vazquez told him.

The officer said, "He said there were all these black people, and he thought he might be killed."

Officer Hogans said a motorist who was driving the opposite way and witnessed the incident wheeled around and followed Vazquez to the King's Lodge, where he hemmed in his vehicle until police could arrive.

Charges were bound to the Grand Jury against the defendant on leaving the scene of an accident, violating the driver's license law and failure to render aid.



His attorney, Jay Morgan, noted that all three are misdemeanors and asked that the bond be reduced. But General Sessions Court Judge David Bales kept the bond at $150,000.

Prosecutor Ben Boyer said Vazquez is an illegal alien and there is an INS hold on him.
The child, Demond Stargell, of 2238 E. 24th Street Court, remains mostly unresponsive, his mother testified. She said the only movement has been his left fingers and right toes.

She said she had warned him not to get out in the street, but she said he "snuck" off while she was in the house watching her other three children. She said he darted out in the street after a ball and struck the side of the Honda Civic.

Officer Hogans said the defendant told him that the child "came out of nowhere."

He said there was no evidence he was speeding or driving recklessly.

The mother said she found her son lying motionless in the street with blood coming from his mouth. He suffered head and lung injuries and had tire burns on his body.

Police said Vazquez had no ID on him and no driver's license

http://chattanoogan.com/articles/article_82192.asp