Watch CBS News

Former Teacher Avoids Jail Time In Hit & Run Of Teen

DENVER (CBS4/AP) — A former Aurora teacher involved in a crash that left a teen girl with a brain injury won't have to go to jail under a plea agreement.

Erin Jackson, 30, pleaded guilty Monday to attempted hit-and-run causing serious bodily injury in a crash in February in Denver. She won't face jail time under a plea agreement with prosecutors.

Jackson was accused of running a red light in February and striking Dee Bridgeman as the girl was in a crosswalk near East High School in Denver. Jackson turned herself in to police a day after the crash.

With the plea deal Bridgeman's family wanted to make sure Jackson would maintain a felony on her record.

Jackson didn't respond to any questions when leaving court but could be heard quietly praying to herself.

Bridgeman was left with a fractured skull, brain damage and paralysis to her left side. Her medical bills are now well into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

"For her to be properly treated -- she's still undergoing treatment – she's had to move to Omaha, Nebraska, where she's continuing to undergo daily therapy," Lynn Kimbrough with the Denver District Attorney's Office said. "Mom has to travel now, when she can, to see her daughter. This has truly been a life-changing thing."

Dee Bridgeman's Recovery At Children's Hospital (Photos by CBS4 photographer Bill Masure)
Dee Bridgeman's Recovery At Children's Hospital (Photo by CBS4 photographer Bill Masure)

Jackson is expected to be sentenced to probation and community service at a hearing set for Aug. 30.

(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.