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Crime & Justice

Mother vows relentless fight after daughter's death in illegal-immigrant truck crash

Kathy Hall's 18-year-old daughter, Hailey King, died after being struck by a speeding truck driven by illegal immigrant Sergio Rodriguez in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and Hall now battles to keep him incarcerated.

In Fayetteville, Arkansas, 18-year-old Hailey King was fatally injured when an illegal-immigrant driver, Sergio Rodriguez, struck her scooter with a truck traveling far above the speed limit. The crash caused multiple internal injuries, and King died shortly after the Nov. 7, 2016 incident, leaving behind a two-year-old daughter, Brooklyn. Rodriguez was sentenced to 17 years for manslaughter, battery and leaving the scene, yet after 1.5 years he became eligible for parole, prompting Hall to endure repeated courtroom appearances.

Hall also says King’s friend, Osmin "David" Gutierrez, was trapped beneath the vehicle and later succumbed to a blood clot from lost limbs. She contends that law-enforcement and prosecutors treated her family like criminals and that ICE was not alerted to Rodriguez’s immigration status, complicating her pursuit of justice.

Why it matters

The case highlights tensions over illegal immigration, parole eligibility, and victims' families navigating the criminal justice system.

In this story

illegal immigrationparole eligibilitymanslaughtervictim advocacycourt testimonytruck crashFayetteville