Charlotte, North Carolina — A 28-year-old woman who admitted striking and killing a pedestrian before driving away has been sentenced to 30 days in jail after telling investigators she did not stop because she did not have a driver’s license and was scared of what might happen.
Q’Laundra Kadri Hood pleaded guilty to felony hit-and-run involving serious injury or death and misdemeanor death by vehicle in connection with the January death of Lance Andreas Jesus Sotelo.
Mecklenburg County Superior Court Judge Reggie E. McKnight sentenced Hood to 16 to 29 months in prison, but suspended the sentence. Instead, she was placed on 36 months of supervised probation and ordered to serve 30 days in jail as special probation.
Pedestrian Killed in Charlotte Crash
The fatal crash happened on Jan. 14 in the 3300 block of The Plaza near East 36th Street in Charlotte.
According to a probable cause affidavit, officers with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department responded at approximately 5:47 p.m. after receiving reports that a pedestrian had been struck by a vehicle.
When officers and first responders arrived, they found Sotelo severely injured in the roadway. Medics pronounced him dead at the scene.
Investigators said Sotelo was running southeast across The Plaza when a white Chevrolet Impala with dark-tinted windows entered the intersection.
Police alleged the Impala ran a red light and struck Sotelo, causing significant damage to the vehicle’s front end, hood and windshield.
The crash was captured on video, and police issued a citywide alert seeking the damaged Impala and its driver.
Hood Admitted She Knew She Hit Someone
The investigation eventually led police to Hood. At approximately 1:30 a.m. the following morning, she turned herself in at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s Hickory Grove Division.
During an interview with detectives, Hood described what happened before the crash.
She told investigators she had been driving after work and saw Sotelo near the side of the road. According to the affidavit, she said she “did not think he was going to cross.”
She also told detectives that her traffic signal was changing when Sotelo entered her path. The affidavit states:
“She stated her light was turning from green to yellow when the pedestrian ran in front of her.”
Hood admitted striking the pedestrian and acknowledged that she knew she had hit a person.
She Said She Was “Scared” to Stop
Despite knowing that she had struck someone, Hood did not remain at the scene. According to investigators, she told them she left because she did not have a driver’s license and was scared.
The affidavit states:
“She admitted striking the pedestrian and acknowledged knowing it was indeed a person. She said she did not stop because she did not have a driver’s license and was scared.”
Hood also acknowledged that she believed the person was likely seriously injured.
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She had a cellphone with her but did not call 911 or anyone else for help, according to the affidavit. After leaving the crash scene, Hood returned home and told her boyfriend’s mother what had happened.
Her boyfriend later came home from work and spoke with her about the crash. According to the affidavit, he eventually convinced her to turn herself in.
Judge Suspends Prison Sentence
Hood’s guilty plea resolved the criminal case without a trial.
Judge McKnight imposed a sentence of 16 to 29 months, but suspended the prison term in favor of supervised probation and a short period of incarceration.
Hood was ordered to spend 30 days in jail as special probation and will remain under supervision for three years. The sentence means she will avoid the longer prison term as long as she complies with the conditions imposed by the court.
Sotelo Was a College Athlete
Sotelo’s life before the crash included both academics and athletics.
He graduated from Queens College in Charlotte in 2025, where he was involved with both the cross-country and track and field teams. His death came just months after completing his college education.
The circumstances surrounding his death have left his family and community dealing with the loss of a young man whose life had been moving forward before the fatal crash.
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