North Harris County – No charges have been filed in the death of a one-year-old girl who was run over by an Uber driver at a North Harris County apartment complex, according to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.
Recommended Videos
HCSO investigators said the toddler was with relatives at the time of the accident and had just been dropped off by the same Uber driver who hit her.
With the young girl in desperate need of help, the Uber driver was attacked by family members.
The child’s parents were not with her at the time and were later notified.
KPRC 2′s Bill Barajas spoke with KPRC 2 Legal Analyst Brian Wice about the case.
Q: HCSO investigators said the Uber Driver did not see the child in front of his car. Do you believe he could be charged?
A: “Every crime is a tragedy, every tragedy is not a crime, and make no mistake what happened in this case was tragic, horrific, unimaginable on so many different levels. Does it rise to the level of criminal negligence where the Uber driver could be charged with a criminally negligent homicide? `I don’t know. And the worst thing anyone can do at this moment is rush to judgement.”
Q: The victim’s relatives can be seen attacking the driver moments after they realized the child was run over. Is it possible they face any charges?
A: “The short answer is yes, assault being the far most likely charge or charges. Again, I can understand their outrage but we don’t settle our differences, no matter how pointed they might be, no matter how tragic a story that drives a narrative out there in a parking lot. Vigilante justice regardless of its degree or its kind has no place in Harris county,”
Q: Do you believe this is the kind of case the will go to a Grand Jury?
A: “I would anticipate that it could likely go to a Grand Jury for the ultimate resolution. We’ve said it on air before, in cases of this kind the Grand Jury is literally the conscious of the community,”
KPRC 2 also reached out to the Harris County Sheriff’s office about the charges in this case. In a statement, they said:
“There are no charges against the driver of the rideshare, at this time. The incident is still under investigation. Upon its completion, it will most likely be forwarded to the DA’s office for final disposition and possible indictment from the Grand Jury.”
Uber told us in a statement:
““Our thoughts are with the toddler’s family after this heartbreaking tragedy. We have removed the driver’s access to the platform while this investigation is ongoing and are standing by to assist police however we can.”