An 8-year-old girl riding her bicycle to a friend's sleepover in a north Charlotte neighborhood was struck and killed by a speeding driver on Saturday evening. The 23-year-old driver, Khaliyal Burney, faces misdemeanor death by motor vehicle charges after allegedly driving 35 mph in a 25 mph zone. Authorities say he initially fled the scene before returning.
Nyomi Summers was biking in the residential area when Khaliyal Burney, driving a 2006 Chrysler 300 sedan, hit her around evening on Saturday, according to court records and a report from Charlotte NBC affiliate WCNC. Officers found Summers in the roadway with her damaged bicycle and rushed her to a hospital, where she died. Charging documents state Burney was driving unlawfully at about 35 mph in the 25 mph zone, and the speeding was the proximate cause of death. Surveillance video from a nearby home captured the Chrysler revving its engine before accelerating into the collision, as reported by Charlotte ABC affiliate WSOC. Burney was not impaired, investigators said, but he drove away initially before returning after someone alerted him about hitting a child. He was arrested last week on charges including driving while license revoked, no liability insurance, failure to register a vehicle, and fictitious registration. Burney posted $1,000 bond and is due in court on June 5. Neighbors described hearing the impact without brakes and noted Burney's history of speeding through the child-filled streets. One witness told WSOC that two other children scattered in time, but 'Nyomi wasn't quick enough with her little legs.' A memorial has formed near the crash site as the community mourns Summers, a familiar face who often played in the area.