Pedestrian killed in Cleveland Heights road rage incident

CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio (WOIO) – A 22-year-old Cleveland Heights lady died Sunday after she was struck by a car concerned in a highway rage incident, stated Cleveland Heights police.

19 Information discovered that the sufferer, Sophia Villanueva, had just lately moved to the world from Florida and began a job at Dave’s Market in Cleveland Heights. A coworker advised us she closed the shop final evening, so she was doubtless headed residence when she was hit by a automotive only a few blocks away.

“It may’ve occurred to me or anyone else that catches the bus at evening or gotta stroll residence, it’s ridiculous,” stated Kenneth Bender, Villanueva’s coworker at Dave’s Market.

Villanueva solely labored at Dave’s for every week or so and in that quick time, she made an actual influence on her coworkers. One worker stated Villanueva would all the time give her a hug each time she began her shift. Villanueva and Kenneth Bender each labored at Dave’s as cooks. “She was a superb particular person, nice character,” Bender stated. “She was stuffed with vitality. She was sort to the shoppers.”

The accident occurred within the space of Cedar Avenue and Lee Highway round 7 p.m.

Cleveland Heights police stated two drivers have been concerned in a “heated confrontation” within the parking zone of the Marathon Fuel Station on the intersection of Lee and Essex Roads.

One of many drivers left the gasoline station parking zone at a excessive fee of pace and headed northbound on Lee Highway.

When the automotive reached the Cedar Highway intersection, police stated the driving force ran the purple gentle and collided with a automotive touring westbound on Cedar Highway.

The influence spun out the westbound car, which then crashed into the pedestrian.

Cleveland Heights police stated Sophia Villanueva was strolling within the intersection and suffered deadly accidents.

“I bear in mind getting a chilly chill as a result of I simply left work along with her Saturday, we each closed collectively so I needed to go break the information to my supervisors,” Bender stated. “If I had knew this was my final day seeing her, I might’ve stated one thing higher to her aside from goodbye.”

Detectives added the accident stays below investigation and no fees have been filed.

“It’s unhappy as a result of any person must be held accountable for this,” Bender stated. “It’s unhappy when any person can’t come residence from work. She deserves justice. She was a human. No human deserves to be ran down on the street like an animal.”

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