BELMONT, N.C. — A man was arrested in connection with a hit-and-run that killed a woman and injured her husband in Belmont Saturday night, police said.
Belmont police responded to a reported crash along Catawba Street around 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 23. Officers said the vehicle ran off the road and hit two pedestrians who were walking in the bike lane.
One of the victims, 22-year-old Christian Beaty, died at the scene, police said. Her husband, Sean Beaty, was treated at the scene for minor injuries.
"We could hear the sound. The tires, the engine — you could hear how it was peeling around the curb," Sean Beaty said. "Next thing I know, I got hit in the back shoulder by the side mirror and it knocked me on the ground."
Belmont police announced an arrest in the case early Tuesday morning. Jacob John Valdez, 22, is charged with involuntary manslaughter and two counts of felony hit and run causing serious injury or death. Valdez is being held in the Gaston County Jail under a $2 million bond.
"I looked up and I see him swerve back on the road and peel out -- no brake lights, no stopping," Sean Beaty said. “It makes it feel like they just didn’t care.”
In the aftermath of tragedy, those who knew and loved Christian say they find comfort in the good memories.
“Her laugh, her smile, her personality just infected everyone around her," Sean Beaty said. "She made every situation better."
The incident remains under investigation. If you have any information regarding this collision, please contact Belmont Police at 704-825-3792.
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