CLEVELAND — Vance Christian, the man who was arrested for a deadly hit-and-run that killed 3-year-old Izzy Hudspath while she was riding a bike in Cleveland last summer, was back in court Tuesday where a judge ordered him to spend at least five years behind bars.
Christian, who pleaded guilty to amended charges in the case last month, was also given a maximum possible sentence of seven-and-a-half years as Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Maureen Clancy cited the Reagan Tokes Law.
The counts against Christian include:
- Count 1: Negligent vehicular homicide (misdemeanor)
- Count 2: Assault (misdemeanor)
- Count 3: Assault (misdemeanor)
- Count 4: Failure to stop after an accident (felony)
The judge also gave Christian a credit of 134 days for time already served.
“I am so sorry for your loss,” Christian said with tears in his eyes in a statement before sentencing was handed down. “I wish I could take it back. … If I could switch the lives, I would. I am so sorry.”
We streamed the entire sentencing hearing, which you can watch in full below (video contains offensive language):
Izzy's father and grandmother also spoke prior to the sentencing.
“You took something from me that we’ll never ever get back,” said Izzy's grandmother, Hannah Webb, as she talked directly to Christian.
It was back on July 21 when officers responded to the scene at Track Road and Lufkin Avenue around 10:08 p.m. where three people on bicycles were struck.
Police say the bicyclists were riding southbound on Track Road in the traffic lane approaching Lufkin Avenue when they were hit by the suspect vehicle, which was traveling northbound on Track Road from Lufkin.
All three bicyclists were taken to the hospital where authorities say Izzy later died from her injuries. The two others -- ages 10 and 27 -- survived.
Editor's note: Video in the player above was originally published in a previous story on July 22, 2022.
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