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AFTER ALMOST A MONTH
Driver in fatal hit-and-run yet to be charged
OAG has also yet to re-file charges against driver in 2016 fatal 3-car crash in Garapan
It’s been almost a month but the driver of a car who was reportedly involved in the hit-and-run that killed a pedestrian in As Mahetog has yet to be arrested and charged.
When asked for an update in the investigation, Department of Public Safety spokesperson Jacqueline Rae Shepard said yesterday that the case is now with the Office of the Attorney General.
“We are waiting for approval to move forward with an arrest,” Shepard said.
Chief prosecutor Michele Harris said yesterday that they are carefully reviewing the case and working with DPS to ensure that all appropriate charges are filed.
“We are deeply saddened by this tragedy and extend our condolences to the family,” Harris said.
The victim, a 38-year-old Chinese male, was hit and killed by the car, a sports utility vehicle, at the intersection of Chalan Pale Arnold Road and As Mahetog near the Saipan Ice and Water Co. last April 1.
Police said that, according to a witness, the car’s driver did not stop and kept driving south, then made a left turn to Mihaville in Garapan.
Police found the SUV seven hours later.
Investigators believed then that alcohol was a factor in the case.
Meanwhile, the OAG has yet to re-file the charges against Yi Wang, a 53-year-old music teacher who was found at fault by traffic investigators in the three-car crash near Sugar King Park in Garapan on Jan. 7, 2016 that killed one person and injured two others.
The Superior Court dismissed the charges against Wang on Jan. 15, 2016, after then-assistant attorney general Emily S. Cohen moved to dismiss the case without prejudice, which means the OAG may re-file the case in the future.
A police officer told Saipan Tribune earlier that police investigation in the case has already been completed.
Romeo Sumilang, a 53-year-old construction worker who was passenger of a pickup truck, was tossed into the air during the incident. He died in the hospital a few days later.
