Driver charged after hit-and-run leaves 9-year-old girl shaken up
CYPRESS, Texas -- Authorities say the woman accused of a hit-and-run that injured a 9-year-old girl initially told police she was not involved.
The incident happened on Saturday in the Villages of Cypress Lakes neighborhood at the corner of Keystone Green Drive and Fir Knoll Way.
Lyla Lott,9, was crossing the street on her bicycle to visit her friend's house when a car driven by a woman rode past and hit her, said her father Troy Lott.
Lott said a neighbor stopped by to help her and called the family.
Video taken from a surveillance camera of a nearby house shows the moment when the car hits the girl and knocks her off her bicycle. The driver of the vehicle, identified as 30-year-old Meaghan Mancill, did not stop and drove past little Lyla.
Fortunately, the young girl was okay, except for a big scratch on her knee. Her father said she was shaken up.
Lott told ABC13 he's disheartened that the video revealed several people drove by after the incident and didn't stop to help his daughter. He went on to say he's encouraged and thankful for the neighbors who did help.
According to authorities, they continued searching the area and located the suspected vehicle parked in a driveway. Authorities say the vehicle had fresh front end damage but that Mancill claimed she had not been involved in a recent incident.
When Lyla could not identify the suspect or the vehicle, the suspect then left the location.
Mancill reportedly reached out to authorities later and confessed she was the suspected driver who hit Lyla.
She will be charged with a felony of failure to stop and render aid.
"We have to be mindful of how fast we're driving, where we're at," Lott said. "If you see someone in need of help, help. A child or otherwise. We need to help one another out, especially in these times. "
