Community Releases Balloons for Girl Killed in Charlotte Hit-And-Run
More than 100 people gathered Friday to honor Mariana Espinoza, a sixth-grader struck near her school bus stop last week.
By Nicholas James ·
A crowd of more than 100 people gathered on Friday afternoon at the intersection of Barrington Drive and Lanecrest Drive to honor Mariana Espinoza. The group carried white balloons as they remembered the 6-year-old girl who died in a hit-and-run crash last week.
Espinoza was struck by a car on Friday, Oct. 23, moments after she stepped off her school bus. She died the following day, on Saturday, Oct. 24. Charlotte-Mecklenburg police arrested a 17-year-old driver three days after the accident. Officials stated the driver did not hold a license at the time of the crash.
Jacqui Segoviano, Espinoza’s mother, spoke to the press through a translator. She expressed gratitude for the turnout of neighbors and friends. "Very thankful for the community to come out and support her," Segoviano said.
The memorial site grew daily following the crash. Neighbors dropped off flowers, candles, balloons, and toys at the intersection. On Friday, more than a dozen staff members from Devonshire Elementary, where Espinoza was a student, joined the balloon release.
Segoviano described her daughter as a happy and warm-hearted child who enjoyed being the center of attention. "She was a very happy girl, easy-going, she liked the attention. She liked to be the center of attention. She was very warm-hearted and I think that’s why people are out here supporting her," Segoviano said.
While grieving, Segoviano is focused on seeking justice for her daughter. She said she wants the driver to be punished for operating a vehicle at high speed in a residential area with children nearby. "[I] want to make sure justice is served by the person that was driving, that he gets punished for it, because there’s no reason why he was driving such a high speed in a street like this with kids around and [I] just wants justice for her daughter," Segoviano said.
Doorbell camera footage obtained on Monday captures the seconds before the crash near the school bus stop. The video ends milliseconds before the collision occurs.
Source: WBTV
