Judy Tanner, 20, left her Dollar Tree job on Glendale Avenue just before 6 p.m. on Sept. 9 and was walking to the Oak Hill Apartments across the street. She was crossing Glendale in the crosswalk when a driver turning left out of a shopping plaza hit her. According to police, the driver told officers she was “distracted by her autistic son” and did not see Tanner. Tanner was trapped under the SUV and died at the hospital. Her mother, Cindy Barnes, said her daughter had the walk sign. The driver talked with police but has not been charged.

Barnes, who lives out of state, recently filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the driver, asking for $75,000 and claiming negligence. Barnes said she wants answers about why no charges have been filed: “There are cameras all over that place. It can see what happened. If they can see what happened, why is she still walking around?”

A records search found the driver has a history of traffic violations, including driving without a license in 2024 and 2025, speeding, expired tags and fake plates. Five months before the crash, the driver was convicted of driving without a license. Many of the cases were dropped or ended in a small fine.

Barnes said Tanner was “one of my favorite people in the world — so sweet and so caring” and “She is a human being, and she deserves better than that.” She said she wants the driver to face consequences: “I really want the lady to feel bad for what she did. I want them to get her some kind of justice and not just leave her on the sidelines.”

Source: 13abc I-TEAM

Photo: Eirian Evans / Wikimedia Commons (illustrative image of a pedestrian crossing)