Mother, daughter charged in fatality after letting teen get behind wheel
Nicole Annette Rodrigues, 34, also faces misdemeanor counts of failure to remain at the scene of an accident that resulted in a death and allowing an unlicensed person to drive. The teenager, who is not being identified by prosecutors because of her age, also faces one count of operating a vehicle as an underage person.
Roosevelt police say that on May 15, Rodrigues let her daughter get behind the wheel of a sport utility vehicle. The teen, with Rodrigues in the passenger seat, ran over 22-month-old Franchesca Isabel Montes as she pulled forward out of the driveway of the little girl's home, according to police.
Roosevelt Police Chief Rick Harrison told the Deseret News that after the accident Rodrigues left her daughter at the scene and fled.
"(Rodrigues) said she was scared and left," Harrison said.
Harrison said Rodrigues' daughter and another juvenile at the home began to immediately scream for help. Montes was taken by personal vehicle to nearby Uintah Basin Medical Center where she was pronounced dead.
Police have said their investigation into Montes' death was initially hampered by inconsistent statements from the families of the victim and the 14-year-old driver.
Deputy Duchesne County Attorney Grant Charles said prosecutors have opted to file a juvenile court petition against the teenager, but could still seek to have her tried as an adult.
"It is possible," Charles said, "but we have no intent of doing that at this point."
No date has been set for Rodrigues' initial court appearance. A juvenile court hearing for her daughter has not been scheduled either.
E-mail: geoff@ubstandard.com
Recent comments
I don't know if anyone on here is from or has been to duschene...
Rural Area? | June 5, 2008 at 12:06 a.m.
common, kids are active,they take off, how on earth can you make...
re: re: so sorry | June 4, 2008 at 9:07 p.m.
what a sad sad tragic incident.
kahunatic | June 4, 2008 at 7:56 p.m.
