Police: Drunk Driver Runs Light, Kills Girl, Flees
GRAND RAPIDS (WWJ/AP) - A 21-year-old Grand Rapids man has been jailed on a $750,000 bond, accused of being drunk when he ran a traffic signal in his SUV, struck a car, killed an 8-year-old girl and fled the scene.
Byron Juarez was arraigned Wednesday in Grand Rapids District Court on charges of drunken driving causing death and failure to stop at a fatal accident. The Kent County jail says there's no information on whether he has a lawyer.
Police say Juarez was behind the wheel around 2 p.m. Dec. 23 when he ran a red light and crashed into a car that was carrying six people who had just left a family gathering for Christmas.
Dayma Roblero, of Detroit, died in the crash and five others were taken to the hospital for treatment. A 4-year-old and a 10-year-old remain hospitalized.
Police say after the crash, Juarez and his passenger, 25-year-old Marco Coronado-Augustin, got out of the vehicle and ran -- but witnesses helped officers catch the men, who were taken into custody.
WOOD-TV reported that Juarez, who was ticketed Sept. 13 in Grand Rapids for driving without a license, does not currently have a valid Michigan driver's license.
Coronado-Augustin is charged with resisting an officer and was freed on bond.
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