NORFOLK, Va. — A Norfolk man was convicted of a felony hit and run on Thursday.
Mario Trai Strong, 21, pleaded guilty as charged to leaving the scene of a fatal crash last summer, according to the Norfolk Commonwealth's Attorney's Office. On June 24, Strong stopped at the Tidewater Drive and St. Julian Avenue intersection, and when the light turned green, he took off at a high rate of speed.
Witnesses saw Strong swerve off the road and onto a sidewalk, where he hit a pedestrian, according to the Norfolk Commonwealth's Attorney's Office. Strong then hit a tree that caused his black BMW to flip.
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Strong crawled out the window of his car and immediately removed his license plate, according to attorneys. He was photographed by witnesses getting into another car with his license plate and leaving the scene.
The Commonwealth's Attorney's Office said that Strong at no point checked on the person he hit, contacted police about the incident or left behind any contact information. He fled the state and only returned to Norfolk after being caught by U.S. Marshals.
The pedestrian, 36-year-old Karl Henry Wilkerson, was transported to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, where he later died from his injuries.
Strong is set for sentencing on Oct. 20.
