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Driver who hit and killed three-year-old has history of driving without a valid license

Posted at 3:10 PM, Jun 22, 2017
and last updated 2017-06-22 21:31:50-04

The mother of a 3-year-old Cleveland girl struck and killed by a car Saturday says her daughter would still be alive today if the driver hadn't been driving without a license. 

Demario Horton, 27, did not have a valid license when he struck and killed Ni’Mya Crosby who was trying to cross the street in the 2700 block of Loop Drive.

“I tried to help her call her name, get her to breathe get her to move,” said witness Juanita Caldwell.

Crosby was rushed to MetroHealth Medical Center and died less than two hours later.

Police records obtained by News 5 list the incident as an accident, but Horton was arrested and charged with driving without a valid drivers license.

“If he would have been following the law, my daughter wouldn’t be dead,” the girl’s mother, Nicole Streety said.

Court records show that Horton is a repeat offender. Horton was also charged with driving without having a valid license in March. That case is still open.

It happened a third time in 2010, when Horton was convicted in Cleveland Municipal Court for again driving without a valid license.

He also has a history of traffic violations going back to 2009.

According to Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicle records, Horton’s license is “expired.”

Streety said she doesn’t understand why he’s still on the road.

“I just feel like people need to take it more serious and obviously you’re not supposed to drive without your license for a reason,” she said.

A 2012 Ohio law made driving under a license suspension a less severe offense. It used to equate to six points on a driver’s record, but now it only results in two.

Horton currently only has points on his driving, according to OBMV records.

Horton bonded out of jail on Sunday night. His next appearance is set for July 5.

Ni’Mya’s funeral is set for Tuesday at 1 pm at Slone & Co. Funeral Directors on 13115 Lorain Ave.

An account has been set up at Huntington Bank called the Ni’Mya Crosby Donation Fund to help pay for funeral expenses.