Driver charged in girl’s death in Cary was speeding, used derogatory language, police say
The man accused of fatally hitting a 6-year-old girl with his car in a Cary neighborhood showed a “lack of remorse” and used derogatory language after the crash, court records state.
A Cary police officer also requested a blood sample be taken after marijuana paraphernalia was found in the driver’s car.
Four days after Christmas on Dec. 29, Andrew Brady Everett, 50, of Cary, was driving more than 40 mph on Walnut Street when he struck Josselyn Perez Hernandez, according to police.
She was taken to WakeMed Raleigh with major injuries and later died.
What police say happened: Officer A. St. John responded to the incident at 11:14 a.m. and reported that Everett was driving a blue Honda Fit at the time of the crash. According to a report by WRAL, the car had damage to the front right side and a cracked windshield.
According to a search warrant obtained by The News & Observer on Wednesday, there were no visible skid marks on the road before or after the incident, which officers suggest indicates a lack of reaction time to stop the car.
St. John said while sitting with Everett, he expressed disdain for the investigation “taking more than 5 minutes” and that it wasn’t his “fault no one was outside watching her.”
According to St. John, Everett said the girl “jumped out in front of me” and called her a derogatory name.
What a witness reported: The report also includes an account from a witness who told St. John they were driving about 40 mph and that Everett was passing them on the road, indicating he was driving about 10 to 15 miles over the speed limit.
St. John requested a blood sample from Everett to determine if he was under the influence at the time of the crash.
The charges Everett faces: Everett was charged with misdemeanor death by motor vehicle, involuntary manslaughter, failure to reduce speed, exceeding the posted speed limit and misdemeanor careless and reckless driving. His bond was set to $26,000.
‘Full of life and joy’
The Hernandez family is mourning.
A fundraiser was organized by a family member, Betsy Rojas Hernandez, to help the family with unexpected costs due to the little girl’s death.
The GoFundMe description is written in Spanish. Hernandez writes that her parents remember Josselyn “as a girl full of life and joy.”
“In these difficult times that no one ever expects, unexpected costs come, which is why we opened this page,” the description reads.
The family has a goal of $10,000 and as of Thursday morning, over $3,300 donations had been raised.
A board member for Gigi’s Playhouse, an advocacy group dedicated to people with Down syndrome, also organized a fundraiser to support the Hernandez family.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
This story was originally published January 3, 2024 at 2:59 PM.