Amazon driver sentenced to 45 days in jail, home detention, for downtown hit-and-run
By Christian Olaniran
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BALTIMORE, Maryland (WJZ) — Jerome Allan Young Jr. was sentenced Monday to 45 days home detention, followed by 45 days jail and two years of supervised probation for hitting a pedestrian and leaving the scene in Baltimore’s Butchers Hill neighborhood.
The sentence also includes mandatory driver’s education courses for the 26-year-old former Amazon delivery driver who struck and seriously injured 20-year-old Chelsey Douglas in February.
“I sincerely hope that Mr. Young’s 45 days of incarceration, coupled with home detention, supervised probation, and mandatory driver’s education courses, will serve as a pivotal turning point,” said Baltimore City State’s Attorney Ivan J. Bates.
Bates said his prosecutors collaborated closely with Douglas and tailored the sentencing offer to align with her specific wishes.
“Our office views Mr. Young as a young person who made a grave mistake, but one without malicious intent,” Bates said.
The State’s Attorney added that under the law, these were the only charges his office could ethically pursue.
How did the incident unfold?
On Feb. 18, around 9:30 p.m., Young struck Douglas while she was crossing the street in a crosswalk.
Surveillance video obtained by WJZ showed Young slowly running over Douglas in the crosswalk, hesitating as she cried out in pain, and then continuing to drive over her with the van’s rear wheels.
The driver briefly stopped, checked on Douglas, asked her, “How did you manage to get hit,” and then fled the scene without providing aid.
Douglas was taken to the hospital with serious injuries, including more than nine broken ribs and five fractured vertebrae.
Bates expressed his “deepest sympathies” to Douglas, “who bravely continues her painful journey of healing and confronts each day with the reminders of this traumatic experience.”
What happened after Young fled the scene? Young turned himself in to police days after the incident. He was initially charged with negligent and reckless driving, assault, reckless endangerment, and failure to stop at the scene of an accident.
The charges were later reduced to several traffic citations. Bates stated that the defendant was initially overcharged and that the charges would be adjusted to better fit the evidence.
Amazon responded by suspending Young from delivering on their behalf and stated they were cooperating with law enforcement in the investigation.
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