WASHINGTON — A pastor who was caught on video hitting a family and their dog with his SUV before speeding away in Northeast D.C. last month was sentenced Thursday.
Samuel Holloway, 64, was sentenced to 45 days in jail with 18 months of supervised probation after. Holloway is a pastor in Maryland.
The crash happened on Oct. 4.
A mother was walking with her two young children, a boy and a girl, and the family dog. When the family crossed the street in the crosswalk at C and 12th Streets, an SUV failed to stop and struck the family.
The mother, who did not want to be identified, said the impact knocked her out of her shoes. She said bystanders rushed to her son who was under a tire.
“I was trying to get my son’s foot dislodged from the tire," the mom said. "Someone yelled at the driver to pull over."
In a video, Holloway appears to pull over but then drives off. Neighbors say the intersection is a problem. Drivers often skip the stop sign.
“His left foot was trapped under the wheel of the vehicle," the mother said. "My dog, I thought he was dead. I wasn’t sure how badly my son was injured. My daughter was screaming."
Two weeks after the crash, Holloway turned himself in on Oct. 18 after seeing the news report about the incident.
In court, Holloway told the judge he left the scene because he was scared and panicked.
He was also arrested twice before, for driving without a license and was a no-show in court.
Holloway’s representatives, co-pastors and colleagues at Beloved Community Church in Maryland, say Holloway is apologetic, and regretful and accepts the sentencing.
“Just because he’s a minister, it does not circumvent the notion that he is human. He did what he was supposed to do. Eventually, when he collected himself, he turned himself in.” Tina Greene, Holloway's representative said.
After Holloway serves his time, his co-pastors tell WUSA9 that Holloway will continue his ministry work and continue to be a mentor.
“I think leading by example is by doing what he did do. Turning himself in." Rev Samoris Hall said.
The mom told WUSA9 that her son was expected to make a full recovery but, they will be forever impacted by the incident.
"It’s changed the way we think about crossing the street and driving my vehicle. It’s unfortunate, some of those emotional and psychological impacts will take a lot longer to heal.” the mother said.