A Charlotte driver who struck and killed 25-year-old runner Lance Sotelo, then drove away, will spend only 30 days in jail. Q’Laundra Hood pleaded guilty to felony hit-and-run and misdemeanor death by vehicle in the January crash. She received three years of probation as well as the jail term. The sentence has drawn ire from Sotelo’s partner, who said the punishment failed to reflect what happened to him.
Sotelo was reportedly out running on January 14th near The Plaza and East 36th Street in Charlotte’s North Davidson, or NoDa, neighborhood. Police said that Hood ran a red light and hit him shortly before 6 p.m. Sotelo died of his injuries at the scene, with Hood leaving before officers arrived. She turned herself in the following morning.
An affidavit described what Hood told investigators after the crash. She said she had seen Sotelo near the road but didn’t think he would cross, and claimed her traffic light was changing from green to yellow when he ran in front of her. Police said Hood ran the red light. According to the affidavit, Hood acknowledged that she knew she had struck a person and said she kept driving because she didn’t have a driver’s license and was scared.
Hood appeared in Mecklenburg County Superior Court for a plea and sentencing hearing on Tuesday, September 22nd, more than eight months after Sotelo’s death. She had originally faced an involuntary manslaughter charge, but pleaded guilty to felony hit-and-run and the lesser charge of misdemeanor death by vehicle. Judge Reggie McKnight sentenced her to 30 days in the county jail followed by 36 months of probation. The sentence also included restitution to Sotelo’s family.
As WBTV reported, Sotelo had competed in men’s track and field and cross country at Queens University of Charlotte. He also served as student government president while he was an undergraduate. He earned an MBA from the university in 2025 and worked as a graduate assistant in student engagement. His death took a familiar face from both the campus and Charlotte’s running community.
Sotelo’s relatives and friends filled the courtroom for Hood’s plea and sentencing. According to WSOC-TV, Hood apologized to the family and said she wished she could turn back time. Sotelo’s mother told the court she forgave Hood but couldn’t forget losing her only son. His partner, James Holt, said the family and community had waited months to see Hood take responsibility.
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Sotelo’s mother, Jeanne, expressed a different hope for what should follow the court case. “I no longer want revenge,” she said, according to WCNC. “I want rehabilitation for her and the sake of her child.” She also said she wanted her son’s death to help prevent another family from suffering the same loss.
For Holt, the 30-day term raised a question about accountability. He told WSOC-TV, “We just want to see accountability for having the community put through what we’ve been put through all these months.” Hood was also ordered to pay $765 in restitution. WFAE identified McKnight as the judge who imposed the jail term and probation.
Sotelo had graduated from Queens, completed the Charlotte Marathon the November before his death, and remained active in the city’s running community. Friends and relatives have since gathered for vigils and events in his memory. His mother founded Lance’s Legacy, an effort to support a future scholarship for LGBTQ+ students. A Charlotte fitness group dedicated its June 5K to Sotelo to help support that effort.
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video.