Things became emotional in a Miami-Dade courtroom Tuesday when a man who killed a teen jogger in a 2021 hit-and-run was confronted by the victim's mother before pleading guilty.
Jose Fimia, 61, screamed and collapsed as he left the courtroom after pleading guilty and being sentenced in the May 2021 crash that killed 16-year-old Diani Gomez Sanchez.
The teen had left home to go on a run and was struck and killed near the 79th Street Causeway not far from Pelican Harbor Marina.
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Sanchez was initially believed to be missing but her body was later discovered off the Causeway.
In was learned in court that Fimia left the scene and returned at some point but was confident he'd only hit a guard rail.
But when police found his car, it had damages consistent with the hit-and-run, along with blood and a few strands of hair.
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Fimia was arrested and charged with vehicular homicide/failure to stop, leaving the scene of a crash causing death, driving with a suspended license and tampering with physical evidence.
In court, Fimia's attorney said he wasn't drunk or driving recklessly.
But the victim's mother, Claudia Sanchez, didn't hold back her emotions in addressing Fimia in court Tuesday.
"I'm destroyed, you completely destroyed my life," she said through a Spanish translator.
Fimia apologized to the family, saying he had no bad intentions.
The judge ultimately sentenced Fimia to four years in prison, along with six years of probation and community service.
"I know it's hard because I know Mr. Fimia didn't wake up this day wanting to kill someone, I understand that. I understand it was an accident," the judge said. "I tried to focus on the fact that he did kill your daughter Ms. Sanchez, but what killed your daughter was the accident and not him leaving crash."
