Police say the woman accused in a Willowick hit-skip that injured two children has admitted to the crimes following an interview Tuesday.
Chief Brian C. Turner told reporters the 18-year-old woman came in with her attorney and admitted to driving around a stopped school bus, striking the two elementary school children, and fleeing the scene. Her red Hyundai Tiburon was later discovered at the Cleveland Clinic downtown and confiscated, and authorities subsequently contacted her.
The incident happened Monday near E. 300th Street and Barjode Road. Both students (7-year-old boys) were hospitalized, but Turner says they did not suffer serious injuries. One even went back to school on Tuesday.
The suspect's name will not be released until tomorrow, when the charges officially make their way to Willoughby Municipal Court. Along with several traffic violations, she will be charged with failure to stop after an accident, a first degree misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.
According to Turner, the woman was "apologetic and scared" when questioned by investigators. She apparently told them she was "in a hurry" on her way from school to work as a valet at the clinic and "panicked" after she hit the children. She was released on her own recognizance, and is scheduled to appear in Willoughby Municipal Court on May 30 at 8:15 a.m.