The St. Paul crash last week that killed a Harding High School student and injured her boyfriend was a tragic accident for which the driver is "very sorry," his attorney, Alberto Miera, told the victims' family and friends Monday.
The statement outside a Ramsey County courtroom was of little comfort to Meseret Semeani, whose niece, Clarisse Grime, 16, died Thursday after being struck by Carlos Viveros-Colorado as she sat in the grass waiting for a bus.
Semeani said she did not believe Viveros-Colorado, 50, was sorry. She said he must be held accountable for driving without a license and with a possible physical ailment.
"We still need justice," Semeani said.
Viveros-Colorado made his first court appearance Monday on a charge of criminal vehicular homicide, and remained jailed in lieu of $100,000 bail. An omnibus hearing was set for July 30.
Miera told District Judge Salvador Rosas that Viveros-Colorado was a working man trying to take care of a daughter and his grandchildren.
"He wants to address the issue," Miera said during an unsuccessful argument to lower the bail amount. "He feels so badly for what happened, so very, very badly."
Grime's boyfriend, Eduardo Vazquez-Torres, 17, attended the brief hearing, and was outside the courtroom to hear Miera say of his client and the crash: "I want to let you know: He's very sorry." Grime's parents were at home tending to funeral arrangements, Semeani said.
