CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va (WTVR)- Two and a half months after a deadly hit-and-run accident the picture of what happened that night is becoming clearer.
Chesterfield Police say it involves a county teacher buying alcohol for people under the age of 21.
"Nikki paid for her mistakes: she paid with her life," said John West, a father who is furious over the new developments concerning his daughter's unsolved death.
"I want the rest of the people there that day that made mistakes, the driver, the teacher, I want them to pay, too," he said.
Nikki West was walking down Turner Road and hit by a driver who has never been found. It was two days before the 19-year-old mom would have celebrated her first Mother’s Day with her son Lucas.
"Now you have a teacher buying them alcohol, knowing good and well they were underage, knowing they'd leave the party and possibly drive,” said West. “Yeah, that's not good."
Police arrested 59-year-old retired Lt. Col and Manchester High JROTC instructor Lennie Carr, charging him with purchasing alcohol for persons under 21.
"When an adult provides alcohol it's up to 12 months in jail and rarely are they given active jail time,” said CBS-6 legal expert Todd Stone. “But when you throw the job of teacher in the mix and alcohol, it aggravates the charge and you can expect jail time."
The retired Lt. Col's e-mail signature line says, "Do not trod the beaten path in life. Make your own path."
West’s father says maybe his daughter would've never on the deadly path that night if alcohol hadn't play a role. Police say Carr purchased the alcohol.
"I was in the service myself,” said West. “We hold ourselves to higher standards, especially someone in that position. It's just incredible something like this has happened."
The Chesterfield School District released a statement that said, "These are very serious charges and the employee was removed from the school almost three months ago. The employee will not return to school pending the disposition of this charge and the administrative process."
Carr is due in court next week.
