Anayely Guerrero faces criminal charges in South Carolina following the death of a 2-year-old girl struck by her pickup truck outside a Goodwill store. According to police, Guerrero heard a loud impact but did not immediately stop to investigate. She claims she was unaware that she had struck a child.
The incident occurred last week in South Carolina. Guerrero's vehicle made contact with the toddler, causing fatal injuries. After the collision, Guerrero heard what witnesses and police describe as a significant "bang" but continued driving. She eventually stopped to examine her truck for damage, police report.
Law enforcement alleges Guerrero left the scene without rendering aid or calling emergency services. She later claimed she had no knowledge that a child had been struck. This assertion presents a central factual dispute in the case. Police investigation records indicate the impact force and audible noise would have been substantial enough to alert a reasonable driver to a collision of serious magnitude.
The charge of hit-and-run resulting in death carries severe penalties under South Carolina law. Statutes governing vehicular homicide typically impose mandatory minimum sentences and can result in lengthy prison terms, particularly when combined with fleeing the scene. The prosecution must establish that Guerrero knew or should have known she struck someone and failed to stop and identify herself.
Guerrero's defense strategy likely hinges on her claim of not realizing she had hit a child specifically. However, South Carolina courts generally hold that drivers have a duty to investigate suspicious impacts and remain at accident scenes. The audible noise combined with vehicle damage would typically trigger such an obligation.
The case reflects broader legal principles governing negligence and criminal responsibility. Even drivers who genuinely believe they struck an object rather than a person remain legally obligated to stop and assess the situation. Failing to do so, particularly when a fatality results, elevates charges from civil liability to