A woman has been placed behind bars for the tragic death of a Montgomery County teen.
Stephanie Phillips, 19, was arrested Thursday for allegedly leaving the scene of an accident on March 28.
Prosecutors say Phillips was driving along Germantown Pike near Plymouth-Whitemarsh High School in Plymouth Meeting, Pa. around 11:30 p.m. when she hit Denise Cotteta.
Cotteta, 17, was crossing the road in the pouring rain after coming from a party celebrating a win by the boy's basketball team, investigators say. Toxicology tests found that the teen had a .028 blood alcohol level when she moved into the car's path.
Investigators believe Phillips panicked after the accident and fled. She was pulled over by police 2-miles down the road, they say. Blood tests found no traces of drugs or alcohol in Phillips' system.
"It's clear from the info we have that the victim was walking into the roadway and the driver was not the cause of the accident," Montco D.A. Risa Vetri Ferman said.
Although Phillips was not at fault, she will be charged with a felony for leaving the scene of the accident. She also faces charges for driving with an expired license.
