The mother of a young woman killed by a teen driver in a St. Paul hit-and-run tearfully pushed back against the judge sentencing the driver Monday.
Sarah Wilson told Ramsey County District Judge Teresa Warner that it wasn’t fair that she had to bury her 22-year-old daughter, Taressa Diana Wilson-Snyder, because of Johnathan Yang’s decision on March 16. Wilson accused prosecutors of letting Yang off the hook for his crime because he was a “good kid from a good family.”
Wilson said: “I don’t understand how someone could do that and then just walk away. … My daughter cannot live her life, but he can … scot-free. Because he has a good background?”
Based on findings that the 17-year-old’s case was best suited for extended jurisdiction by the juvenile system, rather than trying him as an adult, Warner placed Yang on probation until he turns 21.
He also was ordered to pay restitution, attend therapy, complete restorative justice practices and do 12 hours of community service a month.
The 48-month prison sentence will be stayed so long as Yang abides by the terms of his probation.
His driver’s license also is revoked until his 21st birthday.
The sentencing came less than a month after Yang pleaded guilty to one count of criminal vehicular homicide.
The teen sat quietly next to his attorney, father and mother during the emotional hearing.
Although Wilson accused him of showing no remorse, Yang said regret for his actions keeps him up at night.
“I just want to apologize for everything that has happened,” Yang said. “I never had any intention of hurting her … I think about (this) everyday.”
The teen started crying as he spoke.
“There are times when I do cry about it,” he continued. “If I could (go back), I would have stopped and checked and called for help. … It’s hard for me to go outside because of what I did.”
His mother wiped away tears as her son spoke.
Listening from a row in the courtroom gallery nearby, Wilson sobbed into the arms of a loved one.
Officers who responded to the crash scene at Maryland Avenue and Desoto Street around 2:30 a.m. March 16 found Wilson-Snyder unconscious and lying on her back in the street with several people gathered around her.
She was taken to Regions Hospital in critical condition but died there.
No one at the scene knew her or saw what happened, but officers found tire marks nearby and noted several pieces of what appeared to be “burnt orange” plastic pieces from a vehicle.
They used the fragments to put together a vehicle description and asked the public via media to contact investigators with any information about the crash.
Investigators were led to Yang after the owner of an auto shop in Maplewood called police to say that he saw news of the hit-and-run and was concerned that a vehicle he was asked to repair hours after the collision might have been involved.
Officers eventually determined that the vehicle belonged to Yang’s father.
Days later, Yang and his father agreed to speak with officers at police headquarters, where Yang admitted his involvement in the fatal crash after initially trying to deny it.
He said it was dark when he was returning from a friend’s house that night and didn’t see Wilson-Snyder, who he said was wearing black at the time.
He fled because he panicked, according to his statements to police.
An employee with the state’s probation department explained during the hearing Monday that staff opted against recommending Yang be placed out of the home during his probation due to his low likelihood of reoffending and the community’s ability to meet his needs through other programming.
Judge Warner told Wilson that while she would never claim to be able to understand what it was like to lose a child, she is bound by state law governing offenders granted extended juvenile status to sentence him to probation rather than send him to prison.
“I took an oath to follow the law,” Warner told Wilson.
“I’m sorry but the law stinks,” Wilson responded.
“I am certainly not going to argue with you,” Warner said. “I just wish the best for you and your granddaughter.”
Wilson-Snyder left behind a young daughter, who turned 6 in May.
Wilson said the little girl spent her birthday party crying because her mom wasn’t there.
