Anna And Abigail's Law Signed, Closing Hit And Run Loophole

FOREST GROVE, OR – It was almost five-years-ago when Anna Dieter-Eckert and her sister, Abigail Robinson, were playing in a leaf pile outside their home in Forest Grove. A car driven by 19-year-old Cinthya Garcia drove into the pile, striking and killing the children.

Garcia was with her boyfriend and brother and they drove off, knowing that they had hit something but knowing what. When they found out soon after, they went and got some ice cream. The next day they washed the car and attempted to get rid of evidence

Anna was 6-years-old and Abigail was 11-years-old at the time. Get all the latest information on what's happening in your community by signing up for Patch's newsletters and breaking news alerts.

Garcia would be convicted the following January of two counts of hit and run and failing to identify herself as the driver in a fatal crash.

The girls's mother would appear at her sentencing and ask for no jail time for Garcia.

Months later, Garcia appealed, stating that Oregon law doesn't require drivers to stop and investigate what they've struck and, driving through the leaf pile, she had no way of knowing what she had struck.

The Oregon Court of Appeals agreed, overturning Garcia's conviction and prompting the mother of the girls, Susan Dieter-Robinson to launch a campaign to get the loophole closed.

She was supported by the Washington County District Attorney's Office and many legislators.

"The way the current law stands she had no obligation to identify herself as the person who was involved in the accident," she said this past February when she launched the campaign. "This has caused our family a tremendous amount of added grief in a situation where our grief is already immeasurable.

"In making this change someone in the future, already trying to survive a perfect storm, will not be faced with what we have gone through the past four years."

The bill closing the loophole was quickly passed and this week, Governor Brown signed it into law.

"This is a law that protects the most vulnerable in our communities, Washington County Senior Deputy District Attorney Bracken McKey said. "Oregonians are stronger when we look out for each other.

"When we do the right thing.”

Photo via Washington County District Attorney's Office.