Anytime a car runs into a pedestrian or bicyclist, the results can be disastrous. When the driver of that vehicle flees the scene of the accident, it can be even more tragic. On August 17, that is exactly what happened.

21-year-old Corissa Irvin was biking home when she crossed U.S. 17 at 1 o'clock in the morning. She was hit by a vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene at 1:30. The driver who was involved in this fatal car accident did not stop to check on her. He did not stop to call the police. Instead, he continued driving and left her to die on the road.

The North Myrtle Beach police have charged Derek Anthony Stanely II with the hit-and-run. The 18-year-old is currently awaiting trial in jail. Judge Martin Blake in North Myrtle Beach set the bail at $15,000. If he is convicted, Stanley faces up to 25 years in prison and $25,000 in fines.

Nicole Aiello, the spokeswoman for the North Myrtle Beach Department of Public Safety, said that police officers are still investigating the hit-and-run accident. She added that they do not expect to press charges in addition to the hit-and-run with a death involved that have already been filed.

Irvin's family says that they are glad the police found the man who killed their daughter. But as with many wrongful death situations, she said "it doesn't bring [Corissa] back." Irvin's stepmother described Corissa as being "excited to see the world." She was planning to be married and, in fact, moved to South Carolina because her fiancé received a job offer in North Myrtle Beach. Instead of planning a wedding, her family is now planning a funeral.

Source: New Hampshire Union Leader, "North Carolina man charged in hit-and-run death of NH woman," Dan Tuohy, 26 Aug 2010