Lincoln Woman Sentenced to Prison for Deadly Hit and Run

By: Melanie Bloom - Email

Updated: Fri 5:27 AM, Mar 01, 2013

A Lincoln woman has been of found guilty of failure to render aid after an accident.

Twenty-six year old Kinley Queen will spend 2 to 4 years in prison. She appeared in Lancaster County District Court late Wednesday morning.

Queen was accused of being involved in a deadly hit and run accident that dates back to March 29, 2012.

Queen previously plead not guilty but changed her plea on Wednesday. She entered a no contest plea to Lancaster County District Court Judge Robert Otte.

A no contest plea means that a person does not admit guilt, but understands that there is enough evidence for a conviction.

Prosecutors said that the Lincoln woman was behind the wheel of a van around 11:35 p.m. on March 29.

They said in court that a witness reported that his friend was hit by a van while attempting to cross Cornhusker Highway at 14th Street. That witness said that his friend, William Springer, was struck and that the van responsible continued driving and did not stop. Springer was pronounced dead at the hospital about 30 minutes later.

Prosecutors said that another witness reported seeing a van swerving in the road and that it ran a red light. That same witness reported that they came upon a man hunched in the road over another man that was on his back. That witness called 911 several times and waited until emergency crews arrived.

On Monday April 1, police reported that Queen had turned herself in and admitted that she was the driver involved in an accident where someone had died.

In court on Wednesday, Queen cried as prosecutors read through the details out loud.

As part of a plea agreement, no additional charges against Queen will be filed.

Twenty minutes after the trial began, the judge determined that Queen was guilty. He said that failure to render aid is a class III felony. The crime is punishable by 1-20 years behind bars, up to a $5,000 fine and revocation of a license for 1-15 years. The judge sentenced Queen to 2 - 4 years in prison.