TOLEDO -- The driver accused of fatally hitting a Sylvania teen with her car faced a judge Tuesday.
Cynthia Anderson, 66, pleaded not guilty to one charge of aggravated vehicular homicide. She is accused of hitting 15-year-old Morgan Duris as she tried to cross the street to get to her school bus. The Sylvania Northview freshman died less than one hour after being taken by ambulance to Flower Hospital.
A March 30, 2010 trial date has been set. Anderson, of 915 Lincoln Ave. in Toledo, faces a $10,000 fine and five years in jail if convicted.
In a statement given to investigators just after the accident, Anderson explained what happened on the morning of Jan. 12. "(The bus) was stopping. I was going to see the red thing and I was going to beat it," she said. "I wasn't looking over there. The child just darted. I was looking at the school bus and the child darted out," Anderson told detectives.
A detailed report distributed by Sylvania Police after completion of their investigation also stated that Anderson's car radio was turned up to a very high volume at the time of the crash.
Several of Anderson's friends and family attempted to stop media from taking photographs or video of the accused in court on Tuesday, pushing their way in front of cameras in order to disrupt photography.
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