Four Oaks Man Sentenced To More Than 16 Years For Crash That Killed 7-Year-Old

On May 21, a man from Four Oaks was given a prison sentence of more than 16 years for the fatal personal injuries a 7-year-old boy suffered when the man ran over him a year ago.

Thirty-one-year-old Hipolito Hernandez was convicted by a jury of second-degree murder and driving under the influence in the April 13, 2008 accident that took the life of Marcus Lassiter. Hernandez was sentenced to 196 to 254 months in prison.

On the day of the incident, Lassiter had been playing in his grandmother’s yard and attempted to cross Heath Road when Hernandez’s vehicle struck him. He received transport to the hospital, where he later died.

Hernandez, an illegal immigrant, had four prior DUI charges. Two of those charges were dismissed, one was reduced, and another was pending.