Thread: Man pleads guilty to hit-and-run that killed WRAL employee | Erin Simanskis

Man pleads guilty to hit-and-run that killed WRAL employee during snowstorm | Erin Simanskis

https://www.wral.com/news/local/hit-...plea-dec-2024/

The man who hit and killed a WRAL employee in January 2022 pleaded guilty Friday to hit-and-run, death by motor vehicle and having an open container of alcohol in the vehicle.

Summary:
January 2022

The man who hit and killed a WRAL employee in January 2022 pleaded guilty Friday to hit-and-run, death by motor vehicle and having an open container of alcohol in the vehicle.

Erin Simanskis, WRAL's weekend assignment editor and 5 On Your Side research assistant, was on Western Boulevard after someone hit her car from behind during a snowstorm. She was outside of her car exchanging information with the other driver when she was hit by a van. The driver of the van fled on foot.

Less than a week later, she died.

Ten days after the deadly hit-and-run, Aldair Leon-Olluas was arrested in Georgia and extradited to North Carolina.

Leon-Olluas is from Mexico, and he presented a Mexican ID at the time of his arrest. Authorities determined that he was in the United States illegally. He was charged with nine crimes, including felony hit and run causing serious injury or death, driving without a license, speeding and having an open container of alcohol in the car and was given a $1 million bond.

In pleading guilty Friday, Leon-Olluas agreed to consecutive sentences of 16 to 29 months (a maximum of a little less than 5 years) in jail followed by probation. As a condition of his sentence, Leon-Olluas must undergo substance abuse therapy. After he does his time, he will be subject to deportation and, after his release, will not be allowed to drive.