16-year-old driver in custody for involuntary manslaughter after hitting, killing child

Columbia Police said they took a 16-year-old girl into custody on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter after she hit and killed a child who was crossing the street earlier this month.

The crash happened on July 10th just before noon in the 3300 block of Oakland Gavel Road.

Police said 9-year-old Kimberlynn Bartlett, of Kirksville, Mo. died after she was hit by a 16-year-old driver while crossing the road.

The case is now being reviewed by the Boone County Juvenile Office.

“You’ve got a loss of a life, but you also have a 16-year-old,” said Marcia Hazelhost, the executive director of the Missouri Juvenile Justice Association.

Hazelhorst said the juvenile office will look through a number of factors to determine what is best for the teen, including her age, past criminal history and the severity of the crime.

“They are still a developing person and their chances for rehabilitation are pretty good for most kids,” she said “It’s striking that balance between this young person and safety to the community.”

The most serious action in a juvenile case is certification, which means the case is moved to adult criminal court.

Former Cole County prosecutor Bill Tackett said the chances of that happening are very rare.

“It takes an extremely heinous crime and someone who has been in trouble quite a bit before, and they are just kind of beyond the juvenile justice system,” he said.

According to the Boone County Juvenile Office 2016 annual report, only four juvenile cases have been certified in the county since 2012.

The four cases do not include the most recent case involving the December 2016 homicide investigation on Claudell Lane. Navarro Scott, the suspected shooter, was 16 at the time of the incident. In March, he was certified as an adult after he turned 17.

Missouri law requires a certification hearing for certain crimes like murder, rape and assault. With an involuntary manslaughter charge, it would not be required unless requested by the court.

Columbia police officers had previously said they did not suspect drug or alcohol were a factor in the crash. However, other factors such as speeding or distracted driving are unknown.

Police said they will not release the teen’s name since she is a juvenile.