A Virginia driver who struck and killed a pedestrian less than three months ago had his case dismissed Thursday after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor and completing 20 hours of community service.
On June 18, the driver of a Prius jumped the curb of a Leesburg Pike service road near Seven Corners and fatally hit 38-year-old Sean King.
King’s girlfriend, Sophia Romero, told News4 he was walking home from work on the sidewalk.
Mustafa Eltayeb, 43, stayed at the scene and was charged with reckless driving that endangered a person’s life.
He pleaded guilty and had a 60-day sentence that was all suspended as long as he completed 20 hours of community service.
On Thursday, Eltayeb showed a judge proof he completed his community service.
Asked afterward if he had any message for King’s family, Eltayeb denied to News4 being involved with the case in which he pleaded guilty and just had dismissed.
Outside court, he said he wasn’t the person who hit King, wasn’t involved in a crash and wasn’t at court for himself but with someone else.
Romero is heartbroken and furious.
“We just feel like his case didn’t matter, and it’s being handled so lightly and it’s just devastating on top of the loss,” she said.
Fairfax County police say Eltayeb was driving distracted when he jumped the curb and killed King, who was just steps from home.
Meeran Tariq was friends with King for years and believes the Eltayeb deserved a harsher penalty.
“Speaking as a lifelong Fairfax County resident, I expect more from the county to address issues like this where there’s clearly an epidemic with dangerous driving, distracted driving,” Tariq said.
The Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office said Eltayeb’s sentence is on par with a reckless driving conviction in Virginia.
