Illegal Immigrant On Trial For Deadly East Charlotte Crash

A Charlotte family spent Wednesday in court hearing testimony against an illegal immigrant accused of driving drunk and causing a crash that killed their young loved one two years ago.

Six of Jasmine Lawrence’s relatives were in the courtroom, including her mother. She dreads returning to court to hear more details about how her 21-year-old daughter died in a hit-and-run accident.

Police said Raymundo Pineda’s truck hit Lawrence’s car on Independence Boulevard in April 2005, and he didn't stop to help. He was arrested a few minutes later in an east Charlotte apartment complex.

Pineda had been charged with driving while impaired a year before the fatal crash.

Several Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officers took the stand on Wednesday. One told jurors how a driver who saw Pineda’s truck leave the accident scene followed it, and then led police to where the truck was parked. Another officer testified that Pineda told him he drank at least five beers at two bars that night.

The prosecution is expected to call someone from the medical examiner’s office to the stand on Thursday. The case could go to the jury as early as Thursday afternoon.

The victim's mother said she will talk about how painful the trial has been for her and her family once it’s over.