Hit-and-Run Driver Gets Probation, Not Jail

0:00An El Paso driver got 10 years of probation for a hit-and-run crash that left a scooter rider seriously hurt. Carlos Manuel Rivera Jr. was 18 when he caused the wreck on April 12, 2025, by slamming into Samuel Bryan Ponce. He pleaded guilty to collision involving injury and a judge handed down the sentence instead of jail time. Earlier this month on March 12, the plea deal went through at the Enrique Moreno County Courthouse. Rivera got caught after anonymous tips poured in through crime stoppers of El Paso, leading to his arrest just 10 days after the crash. He posted $50,000 bond the same day and stayed free until sentencing. The victim survived his injuries after hospital care, but the crash happened when Rivera's Chevy Malibu, lights off, hit Ponce, making a left turn on to. Tula Rosa Avenue. Police had asked the public for help right away, turning it into their crime of the week. As part of the deal, prosecutors dropped an aggravated assault charge, citing Rivera's

1:00clean record, his acceptance of blame, and rehab potential. They weighed the victim's harm against community safety and pushing for supervision over prison. Now a convicted felon, Rivera faces a decade under watch, with up to 10 years in prison if he slips up. Drivers everywhere got to stick around after wrecks, swap info, and help the hurt. It's the law, no excuses. This has been El Paso News today, powered by AI.