An illegal migrant convicted of killing 18-year-old Hailey King in a 2016 hit-and-run crash in Fayetteville, Arkansas, remains eligible for parole after serving a fraction of his 17-year prison sentence, according to the victim's mother.
Kathy Hall said she learned Sergio Rodriguez became eligible for parole roughly 18 months into his sentence. Her family now returns to parole hearings every two years to oppose his release. Rodriguez pleaded guilty in 2018 to manslaughter, battery and leaving the scene of the crash, and received a 17-year prison sentence. He is currently held in the Washington County Jail.
Hall told Fox News Digital that she vowed at her daughter's bedside that she would "never stop fighting for justice."
Fatal Collision in Fayetteville
King was riding on a scooter with her friend, Osmin "David" Gutierrez, in Fayetteville on November 7, 2016, when a pickup truck driven by Rodriguez struck them from behind. Police said Rodriguez was traveling 36mph above the speed limit when he slammed into the pair.
The impact threw King onto the hood of the truck before she was flung headfirst onto the roadway. She suffered catastrophic injuries, including a brain stem hemorrhage, internal and external cranial hemorrhages, a burst spleen and a lacerated liver. She died a short time later, leaving behind her two-year-old daughter, Brooklyn.
Hall recalled police arriving at her home that night and telling her to come to the hospital immediately. When she arrived, she found her daughter sitting upright with her eyes open but unresponsive. Hall said she sat beside King, told her how much she loved her and promised to keep fighting for justice before King died. "I knew right when I looked at her that she was gone," Hall told Fox News Digital.
Injuries and Second Victim
Gutierrez was also critically injured in the crash. Hall said Gutierrez became trapped beneath the truck as Rodriguez continued driving for more than a mile before stopping. Gutierrez's legs were severed in the collision, but he remained conscious. He died two years later from a blood clot related to his injuries.
Parole Hearings and Legal Process
Hall criticized how authorities handled the case following the collision. She said Rodriguez disappeared for three days before his arrest and was released on bond less than an hour after being taken into custody. Hall said her family felt Rodriguez was protected throughout the criminal proceedings while they struggled to navigate the legal system.
Hall also claimed authorities chose not to notify U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement because deporting Rodriguez could have prevented him from facing criminal prosecution in Arkansas. She said the decision forced her family to choose between criminal accountability and Rodriguez's immediate deportation.
The recurring parole hearings have prevented the family from moving forward, Hall said. "As soon as the pain dulls a little bit, you have to go back through the whole thing preparing to try to keep him behind bars again," she said.
Hall said King had done nothing wrong on the night of the crash, and noted that her granddaughter has grown up without knowing her mother. Hall stated that she will continue opposing Rodriguez's release for as long as necessary. "I'll never stop fighting. I'm going to do everything I can to keep my promise to her," Hall said.
The Daily Mail reached out to the Fayetteville Police Department and the Washington County Sheriff's Office for comment.
