Hope Richmond, a Montpelier Ohio woman who admitted to hitting and killing a 13-year-old boy and injuring a 12-year-old girl in Steuben County last October, faced angry demonstrators at her sentencing on Monday.
According to police, Richmond drove away after striking the two children who were walking on CR 275 North near Lake James (rural Angola) on October 1, 2022. Wayden Bennett died in the hospital two days later, while Ryly Cumings was released after treatment.
Police released a description of Richmond’s vehicle, which led to her arrest on October 3 when a witness spotted it at a house near Fremont, Indiana.
She was charged with three counts: leaving the scene of a deadly accident, leaving the scene of an injury accident, and obstruction of justice. She pleaded guilty to all of them in May.
On Monday, protestors rallied outside the courthouse, demanding a tougher sentence for Richmond, whose plea deal capped her prison time at 14 years.
After a short break and remarks from the prosecutors, the judge handed down Richmond’s sentence: 12 years behind bars.
She also lost her driving privileges for five years.