A 36-year-old man was sentenced to nearly five years in prison for striking a 12-year-old boy with his BMW SUV in El Cajon and fleeing the scene, with the court citing a history of reckless driving.
Dani Korkis was sentenced to four years and eight months in jail after being convicted of felony hit-and-run and escaping police. Around 8 p.m. in October, the boy rushed across Ballantyne Street and into Korkis’ SUV.
The boy, named only as Richard G., sustained serious head injuries, a fractured arm, a broken leg, and many knocked-out teeth that required surgery. He has healed well from his injuries, which the judge described as “every parent’s worst nightmare.” The felony in this case is that he ran away from the scene and did not seek to offer aid,” said Deputy District Attorney Natalie Scholfield.
Korkis departed the scene of the crash without helping the injured youngster. According to El Cajon police, despite knowing he had struck something and saw blood on his hood, he refused to turn himself in.
Korkis was discovered by investigators after they used city license plate readers and the damaged SUV. Initially, he claimed a woman borrowed his automobile but later admitted his involvement. “He was scared and panicked,” defense attorney Greg Turner explained. “Not a day goes by [that] he doesn’t ask how the child is doing.”
Witnesses stated that the child dashed into the road outside an intersection before being hit.
Korkis was held on a $1.5 million bond and will immediately begin serving his sentence. He was also sentenced to pay reparations to the victim’s family for hospital fees, the amount of which has yet to be determined.
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