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Teen charged as adult in fatal hit-and-run
TAMPA -- Prosecutors have filed an adult criminal charge against a 17-year-old girl accused of leaving the scene of a crash that left a homeless woman dead.
Authorities say Jordan Valdez was driving a Nissan Murano home from cheerleading practice Feb. 8 when she hit 33-year-old Melissa Sjostrom and kept going. Her lawyer said the then-16-year-old likely panicked after the accident and drove home.
Police closed the case in April without making an arrest, but it was reopened after The St. Petersburg Times raised questions about how it was handled.
Valdez's attorney, Ty Trayner, said prosecutors have already made a plea offer that does not include prison time, but the teen has not yet accepted it.
Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Police closed the case in April without making an arrest, but it was reopened after The St. Petersburg Times raised questions about how it was handled.
Valdez's attorney, Ty Trayner, said prosecutors have already made a plea offer that does not include prison time, but the teen has not yet accepted it.
Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
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