April 22, 2021 GMT
BRANDON, Miss. (AP) No charges are being filed in the traffic death of a 17-year-old girl in February, but relatives of the victim are questioning the investigation, Rankin County authorities said.
The sheriff’s office said a review showed that the death of Irina Gutierrez on Feb. 26 was an accident and no charges were warranted. The Clarion Ledger reports she was walking along a road at night when she was struck by a vehicle and died later at a hospital.
Deputies initially believed Gutierrez had been struck by more than one vehicle because a driver told investigators she was on the ground when he hit her. But an investigation showed the teen was struck by only one vehicle, and it was unclear why she was on the ground, sheriff’s officials said.
Mississippi teen s traffic death ruled accidental apnews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from apnews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
What was initially thought to be a hit-and-run that killed a Rankin County teen has been determined to be an accident.
Irina Gutierrez, 17, was walking along Old Fannin Road on the night of Feb. 26 when she was struck by a vehicle. According to the Rankin County Sheriff s Office, she was found unresponsive and taken to a hospital where she was later pronounced dead.
Deputies first thought she had been struck by more than one vehicle because a driver who struck her and who remained on the scene said Gutierrez was on the ground when she hit her. That was the assumption we had at the time and we continued to operate under that assumption in the initial part of the investigation, Paul Holley, legal counsel for the Rankin County Sheriff s Office, said Tuesday.
Teen s February death on Old Fannin ruled tragic accident
Irina Gutierrez died after being hit by a car Share Updated: 5:48 PM CDT Apr 19, 2021
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Irina Gutierrez died after being hit by a car Share Updated: 5:48 PM CDT Apr 19, 2021 There will be no charges related to a February accident that took the life of a 17-year-old girl in Rankin County. On February 26, officials with the Rankin County Sheriff s Department said Irina Gutierrez was walking down Old Fannin Road near Jack s Place when she was hit by a car. At the time of the incident, investigators believed the teenager to be the victim of a hit-and-run. After further investigation, Rankin County officials said they have determined she was only hit by one vehicle, whose driver never left the scene and cooperated fully with the investigation. Authorities are calling the incident a tragic accident and no one will be charged.
A mother and daughter reunited after 15 years. Three months later, the daughter was killed She said she loved her life. She laughed hysterically and had a beautiful smile. She was everything good. Everybody loved her.
Mississippi Clarion Ledger
She lost her daughter 15 years ago. On Feb. 26, she lost her a second and last time. She was walking home, Starkishia Bolding said of her daughter, Irina Gutierrez. She had just been out walking. I was outside on my back porch smoking a cigarette. I heard sirens. That s how I knew something was going on. It was close to the house. My husband, we got in our vehicle to find out where the sound was coming from.