OSPREY, Fla. — Just days after the one-year anniversary of 13-year-old Lilly Glaubach's death, the man found responsible for hitting her with his car received what prosecutors called a "severe (but appropriate) sentence."
On the afternoon of Aug. 16, 2022, Lilly entered the crosswalk at Old Venice Road and Bay Street while riding her bike home from Pine View School in Osprey. That's when David Chang, 65 years old at the time, crashed into her, throwing Lilly and her bicycle through his windshield and onto the street, according to the state attorney's office.
Chang then drove off without stopping and eventually took his car to a body shop in Tampa where he claimed a tree fell through his windshield, investigators reported.
But before his car was repaired, a concerned civilian called the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office to report the damaged car. This tip led the Florida Highway Patrol to Chang's home, where troopers say he admitted to the hit-and-run crash.
Lilly died at the hospital 12 days later.
Last week, Chang, now 67, entered an open plea for one count of leaving the scene of a crash involving death and one count of tampering with evidence. After hearing testimony from Lilly's parents and Pine View classmates, a judge sentenced Chang to 15 years in prison followed by three years probation.
"The Defendant, even to this day, and in front of both families, denied that this crash was his fault. The reality is simple - on the day of the crash, he should have pulled over," Assistant State Attorney Joshua Wertheim said in a statement. "I am glad that the Defendant was given a sentence that is appropriate for both the nature of the offense, and the extent to which he took to cover up his crime.
"Fortunately, this severe (but appropriate) sentence sends a message that we as a society will not tolerate the act of driving away from a crash while a helpless child lay dying in the street," he continued.
Lilly is remembered as a "beautiful, smart, kind and amazing 13-year-old." Her memory lives on not only in the friends and family who knew her, but also in the lives of complete strangers she was able to save through organ donation.
Lilly's family is working with the state attorney's office toward the goal of passing legislation to help law enforcement identify the drivers of the tens of thousands of hit-and-run crashes that go unsolved every year.