Hit-and-Run Death Ends in 30-Day Sentence for Q’Laundra Hood

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Summary: Lance Sotelo died after a January hit-and-run in Charlotte. Q’Laundra Hood pleaded guilty and received 30 days in jail plus 36 months of supervised probation.

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Woman charged in fatal hit and run

A January crash that killed a 25-year-old runner in Charlotte, North Carolina, returned to court this week with Q’Laundra Hood receiving a 30-day jail sentence. Hood, who was 28 when the crash occurred, pleaded guilty in connection with the death of Lance Andreas Jesus Sotelo.

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Sotelo was running in Charlotte on Jan. 14, 2026, when police said Hood ran a red light and struck him. He suffered fatal injuries and died at the scene.

Police identified Hood as the driver and said she left after the collision rather than stopping. She later turned herself in to Charlotte-Mecklenburg police.

According to reports based on the case documents, Hood told investigators she knew she had hit a person. She said she did not stop because she did not have a valid driver’s license and was afraid of what might happen.

Remembering Lance Sotelo

Sotelo was a former Queens University of Charlotte student-athlete who competed in track and field and cross country. He remained connected to the university after completing his undergraduate studies.

He was pursuing a master’s degree in business administration and had worked as a graduate assistant, according to WBTV. Running was also an important part of his life. In November 2025, Sotelo finished fifth in the Charlotte Marathon with a time of 2 hours, 38 minutes and 30 seconds.

Hood’s Guilty Plea and Sentence

Hood appeared in Mecklenburg County Superior Court on Sept. 22 and pleaded guilty to felony hit-and-run involving serious injury or death and misdemeanor death by vehicle.

Judge Reggie E. McKnight imposed a prison sentence ranging from 16 to 29 months but suspended it. Instead, Hood was ordered to serve 30 days in the Mecklenburg County jail and complete 36 months of supervised probation.

The case now moves beyond the plea and sentencing phase. Hood faces the conditions imposed by the court, while Sotelo’s death remains the central loss behind the case.

For a young athlete whose life had centered on education, running and his future, the Jan. 14 crash brought that future to an abrupt end.

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Suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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