An Ohio woman, who hit and killed a young girl with her car, has received a bizarre jail sentence almost as off-putting as the crash itself.
8-year-old Khloe Nida was carrying milk from her driveway into her home, when 77-year-old Gloria Bartek barrelled through a church parking lot, crossed a busy street, and sped into the yard, running over the little girl. Although Bartek claimed that her car malfunctioned, investigators found that she never even attempted to hit her brakes.
Sadly, Khloe died shortly after being mowed down by Bartek, prompting authorities to charge the elderly woman with the accidental death of the young girl. Bartek was eventually allowed to plead no contest to a misdemeanor count of negligent vehicular homicide, which carries a maximum penalty of only 6 months in jail. Disturbingly, the judge had other plans.
The sentence mandates Bartek serve three days in jail every year for five years, on the anniversary of Khloe’s death, a total of 15 days in jail.
Additionally, Bartek’s license is suspended for five years, and the judge tacked on a $500 fine, plus probation. At most, she faced six months of jail time and a $1,000 fine.
The car apparently had no mechanical issues, and Bartek apparently failed to step on her brakes or honk as the vehicle went across the street and hit the girl.
Bartek received a light sentence despite not apologizing to Nida’s parents, who are still devastated by their daughter’s death.
Bartek said a few things in the courtroom prior to the sentencing but did not apologize for killing Khloe. “I understand what the family’s going through,” she said. She received a light sentence despite not apologizing to Nida’s parents, who are still devastated by their daughter’s death.
Khloe’s family is represented by lawyer W. Craig Bashein in their pursuit of a civil lawsuit, which he said will give them the “right to question and cross-examine the defendant … and get some answers.”
Bashein called Bartek’s lack of remorse and accountability “incomprehensible” and “striking.”
“There’s a number of issues that don’t make sense,” Bashein said, citing Bartek’s odd decisions: to not use the brakes as her car neared Khloe, to “[steer] toward a family and a group of people,” and then never even honking to warn Khloe.
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Sources: OpposingViews, Daily Mail