Man pleads no contest in truck accident that killed 5-year-old Hillsborough boy
HILLSBOROUGH, North Carolina (WTVD) -- The worker charged the day after Christmas when a construction truck barreled down a hill into a home, killing a 5-year-old boy, pleaded no contest in court Monday.
It happened in Hillsborough's Forest Ridge subdivision, a new neighborhood not far from U.S. 70.
Construction crews were loading the back of the truck when it started rolling. No one was inside the vehicle when it started gaining speed down the hill, through a front yard, a driveway, and then a garage door.
Playing in the driveway just in front of that garage were children. One was William Everett Copeland. Neighbors say he was playing soccer, and he couldn't get out of the way fast enough. The truck hit him before crashing into the home.
In court Monday, the boy's father said the family is devastated and the accident could have easily been prevented.
Alejandro Suarez, 28, of Angier, was charged with misdemeanor death by motor vehicle. Police said he was responsible for the control of the vehicle.
Federal immigration officials put a hold on him right after his arrest because he is in the country illegally.
The plea agreement included a sentence of 65 days in jail. Including time served, Suarez will remain in state custody for another weekend and then he will be turned over to federal authorities.
