Gine Bennett
CALN — Township police said Tuesday they have charged a Coatesville woman in the Dec. 4 hit-and-run death of 19-year-old Ke’asya Gray on Lincoln Highway in the Thorndale section of the township.
Township police charged Gina Marie Bennett, 48, of Coatesville, Tuesday, and she surrendered in Downingtown District Court and was released after posting $300,000 in bail. District Justice Jeffrey Valocchi arraigned Bennett and released her on $300K unsecured bail, pending a preliminary hearing scheduled for Feb. 4, 2015.
She faces the following charges: Homicide by Vehicle While Under the Influence, Homicide by Vehicle, Accidents Involving Death or Personal Injury, Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol or Controlled Substance, (failure in) Duty to Give Information and Render Aid, (failure to) Driving on Roadways Laned for Traffic and Reckless Driving.
“The days following this tragedy have seemed like an eternity for a family that just lost their second child in the span of two months,” Caln Police Chief Joseph Elias said in a statement issued by the department. “I thank the Gray family for their patience and support throughout this investigation. Our investigators worked diligently and methodically to build a strong case and bring a coward and a killer to justice. While the arrest of Gina Bennett will do little to console a grieving family, at a time of year that should bring joy and happiness, I trust that it will aid in the healing process and offer some sense of closure to this horrific crime.”
Police said that Bennett fled the scene of the accident after striking Gray, but that the vehicle was located the next day in a local auto body shop. Bennett fairly quickly became a person of interest in the case, police said. Tuesday charges were the result of the ensuring investigation.
