March 21, 2001
(ATLANTA) – A Georgia judge who dismissed charges against an alleged hit-and-run driver because the prosecutor was late to court is under pressure to reverse that decision.
Superior Court Judge Alice Bonner has scheduled a hearing April 2 in the case of Rosendo Diaz Abarca. Abarca was charged with leaving the scene after running down Shareca Tucker. Tucker was struck by four cars as she crossed a busy highway to get to a bus stop.
When Bonner threw out the charges last week, she hinted that the case against Abarca was week. He was the last driver to hit Tucker and told investigators that he did not realize that he had run over a human being.
The first driver stopped at the scene, while two others took off and have never been identified. A police investigation determined that none of the drivers were at fault for Tucker’s death.
Bonner is best known for presiding over the trial of Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis, who was acquitted of any involvement in a post-Super Bowl party killing last year.