Driver takes plea deal in crash that killed Fresno teen

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A Fresno family's outrage spilled implicit successful tribunal arsenic the operator who killed a 15-year-old lad took a plea woody Wednesday.

40-year-old Lisa Spoors initially faced murder, DUI, and hit-and-run charges.

They stemmed from an October 2022 clang that near Rashad Al-Hakim Jr. dead.

"He enjoyed basketball. He was the lone freshman connected the varsity team. He enjoyed playing with his siblings," said Ragina Bell, Rashad's mother.

Authorities accidental the Hoover High School pupil was crossing First Street adjacent the Northeast Fresno field erstwhile Spoors drove into him and left.

At the time, Spoors was a postgraduate teaching adjunct astatine Fresno State, but that declaration ended 1 time aft the territory lawyer filed charges.

Spoors archetypal pleaded not blameworthy to each the charges but signed a signifier connected Wednesday.

That signature changed the plea, with Spoors agreeing not to combat 1 number of manslaughter and 1 number of hit-and-run.

In exchange, prosecutors dropped the execution charge, saying the woody avoided a perchance challenging trial.

Rashad's loved ones shared their frustrations with the caller imaginable punishment.

"The idiosyncratic who killed my lad has to walk a maximum of 5 years. And that's not justice," said Ragina.

She wiped distant tears arsenic she remembered her lad and his imagination of playing basketball.

Ragina says beingness without Rashad volition ne'er get easier.

"I can't cope. My lad is gone. How are you expected to header erstwhile fractional of you is gone? That's each I cognize is my children. And 1 of them is gone," said Ragina.

Rashad's passing is inactive precise earthy for Ragina.

She says she'll beryllium backmost successful tribunal connected April 10th erstwhile the justice sentences Spoors, who is facing a maximum of 5 years successful prison.

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