SARASOTA COUNTY, Fla. (SNN) — David Chang, 67, was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Aug. 31 for the hit-and-run crash that killed 13-year-old Lilly Glaubach last year.
On Aug. 16, 2022, Lilly was riding her bike when Chang hit her and fled the scene.
Last week Chang entered an open plea to one count of leaving the scene of a crash involving death and one count of tampering with evidence, but Glaubach’s parents say they were disappointed by his reaction.
“It was an open plea, ‘but it’s not my fault.’ It was an open plea, ‘but she darted into traffic.’ It was an open plea, ‘but she appeared out of nowhere.’ You don’t tell the court ‘Yeah, I take responsibility, but.’ Hearing all the ‘buts’ in court was just disappointing,” said Lilly’s dad Paul Alexander.
“I guess I was just assuming there would be more remorse and more responsibility,” said Sarah Alexander, Lilly’s mom.
Lilly was riding her bike home from school when she went over a crosswalk at the intersection of Old Venice Road and Bay Street.
“She knew the crosswalk was on because she could see the lights flashing and then she entered it. Everyone wishes that perhaps she would’ve looked to the right which would be the east end and would’ve seen David Chang speeding towards that intersection, but she did not,” said Trooper Kenn of the Florida Highway Patrol. “None of what happened is Lilly’s fault.”
Troopers said Chang was going over the 30 miles per hour speed limit when he crashed into Lilly.
Sarasota Circuit Court Judge Donna Padar sentenced Chang to 15 years in prison and three years of probation.
Sarah Alexander says she’s relieved it’s over, but that there’s no real happy ending.
“I’m glad that he was punished for what he did. I wish he would’ve gotten more time because my daughter was only 13 and she’s gone, she’s dead,” she said.
According to the Alexanders, Chang admitted he fled the scene due to shock and panic.
FHP said things could’ve been very different if he had stayed.
“Had he stayed on the scene, he was looking at a citation with a mandatory court appearance, a loss of his license, advanced driving school, and a fine. But now, based upon the decisions that he made while in panic mode is costing him 15 years,” said Trooper Kenn Watson.
The Alexanders said they’ve been talking to the State Attorney’s Office and they’re working on a bill to change laws around hit-and-run accidents.
