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.
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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.
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.