Hit-and-run driver refuses to apologize after victim's family fought for tougher sentence for killer
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The family of a woman who lost her life in a hit-and-run incident in Miami Gardens, Florida, is outraged after the driver involved declined to express any remorse during court proceedings.

On Tuesday, Sharon Cox, aged 65, received her sentence following a guilty plea for a 2023 hit-and-run that resulted in the death of Patricia Garner and injuries to two others, as reported by NBC 6. Initially offered a plea deal with lighter sentencing, Cox was ultimately sentenced to four years in prison due to the persistent efforts of Garner’s family to secure a more severe punishment.

Prosecutors revealed that Cox struck three individuals in a parking lot at a community center in Miami Gardens and subsequently fled the scene, resulting in serious charges.

Despite facing the family of Patricia Garner at the sentencing hearing on Tuesday, Cox chose not to offer any apology for her actions.

Sharon Cox booking picture

Sharon Cox was sentenced after a fatal hit-and-run. (Miami-Dade County)

“Ms. Cox didn’t even stand up and say that she was sorry,” said Sandra Welch, Garner’s sister-in-law. “She didn’t say one word.”

According to the report, prosecutors initially offered Cox a plea deal that would have put her in jail for one year. The family was vocal in their disagreement over the plea deal and wanted jail time, resulting in prosecutors rescinding their initial offer.

The new plea deal includes four years in prison for Cox, which Garner’s family still doesn’t think is enough.

This is an April 5, 2021, view of the downtown Miami skyline.

View of the downtown Miami skyline from the Miami South Channel on April 5, 2021, in Miami, Florida. (AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)

“We miss her, and we will always miss her,” said Allie Mobley, Garner’s sister. “But to get only the amount of time she got for killing her, it hurts.”

Following her four-year prison sentence, under the plea agreement, Cox will serve two years of her probation, must go to traffic school and complete 100 hours of community service. Her driver’s license has also been taken away for five years.

Miami Gardens Police Department cruiser

The hit-and-run happened in Miami Gardens, Florida, in 2023. (Miami Gardens Police Department)

Andrew Rier, Cox’s attorney, told NBC 6: “The case was resolved to an appropriate resolution where none of the parties involved were fully satisfied. This was a tough case, a tragic accident, and we hope this finality can bring closure to the victim’s family.”

The Miami-Dade State Attorney’s office said the sentence represents what the law allows.

“For every family member in every criminal case, the pain of victimization always cuts deep,” the office said, according to NBC 6. “We understand that though this resolution is what the law allows in this case and had been accepted by the victim’s family, no sentence can ever lessen the loss of a loved one. Our hope is that now they can begin their grieving process and find peace.”

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