A judge in Lewiston found a woman violated motor vehicle laws when she ran into a 13-year-old boy on his way to school in November.

Laurie Young, 54, of South Paris had been charged with a motor vehicle violation resulting in death, a civil charge, in the accident that killed Jayden Cho-Sargent as he crossed Main Street in Lewiston on Nov. 3, 2016. Jayden, who was about a block from home and on his way to Lewiston Middle School, died at the scene.

Young was given a $3,000 fine and a 3-year license suspension.

Young denied the charge in April, and said she didn’t see the boy in the crosswalk until the last second.

She testified rain and glare from headlights affected her ability to see. Androscoggin County District Attorney Kate Bozeman argued Young should have slowed down if she had difficulty seeing.

Young was driving her pickup truck outbound on Main Street and failed to see Jayden in the crosswalk until he was right in front of the truck, Lewiston Police Lt. Mark Cornelio said in November. She quickly applied the brakes, but the boy was dragged more than a car length, police said. Young was too distraught to call 911, so a passer-by notified emergency responders. Young agreed to have blood drawn for an alcohol and drug test.

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Young faces a fine of up to $5,000 and a license suspension of 14 days to four years.

Jayden’s mother, Kellie Foley, issued a statement through a law firm she retained after the accident, saying she was disappointed with the decision to charge Young only with a civil offense.

“Our hope was there would be more accountability through the criminal justice system,” Foley said in the statement.

The statement denied that Jayden had been wearing dark clothing, had a cell phone or was walking in violation of traffic laws at the time.

“He was more than halfway through the crosswalk when he was hit. He was over 5 feet tall and easily visible. There are simply no excuses for a driver who did not stop,” the statement said.


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