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Driver who hit, killed boy then continued driving without valid license gets 2 years in jail

Posted at 4:32 PM, Nov 29, 2017
and last updated 2017-11-29 19:01:01-05

A Cleveland woman who admitted to hitting and killing a 12-year-old boy with her car last summer and then continued to drive without a valid license was sentenced Wednesday. 

Starlesha Lewis, 19, will spend two years in jail. 

Lewis is accused of fatally hitting Ameer Mitchell with her carwhile he played outside his East Cleveland home on August 20, 2016.

According to court records, she was arrested and charged with aggravated vehicular homicide and failure to stop after the crash.

She was sentenced to 18 months for vehicular homicide. She was also sentenced to 24 months in connection to a drive-by shooting. Her sentences will run concurrently. 

Her driver's license will be suspended for four years after she is released. 

RELATED: Police: Driver who killed 12-year-old boy never had a valid license, continued to drive recklessly

A News 5 investigation found she never had a valid drivers license and shouldn't have been behind the wheel in the first place.

After she posted bond, Lewis bragged on social media about driving and getting into other crashes.

She had been pulled over on three separate occasions and even arrested after Ameer's death:

  • On Aug. 10, 2016, Lewis struck and killed Ameer Mitchell. Knowing she hit the 12-year-old, she fled the scene anyway. 
  • On Aug. 11, 2016, Lewis turned herself into the East Cleveland Police Department and admitted to hitting Ameer. 
  • On Aug. 15, 2016, the judge gave Lewis a $25,000 surety bond, meaning she was free to go as long as she obeyed the rules of her bond. 
  • On Nov. 10, 2016, the Willoughby Police Department cited Lewis for driving 89 mph in a 60 mph zone. 
  • On Nov. 29, 2016, the Cleveland Police Department cited Lewis for driving with a temporary permit without a licensed driver and turning at intersections. 
  • On Dec. 15, 2016, the Lyndhurst Police Department cited Lewis for driving with a temporary permit and a red light infraction. 
  • In January 2017, the Ohio Department of Motor Vehicles suspended Lewis' temporary license due to the traffic infractions in November. 
  • On March 16, 2017, Lewis was involved in a two-car crash in Cleveland.