HARVEY COUNTY – Samara Maple, 25, of Hutchinson, Kansas, pled guilty in Harvey County District Court on Tuesday to one count of Leaving the Scene of a Fatality Accident, according to the Harvey County Attorney's office.
The charge stems from a collision that occurred on April 8, 2024, when Laurie Oswald Robinson, of Newton, Kansas, was found deceased on the embankment beneath the SE 24th Street bridge over Interstate 135.
Subsequent investigation determined that Ms. Robinson had been struck by a vehicle while walking across the bridge, and that the driver had left the scene without notifying authorities.
Following a thorough investigation by law enforcement, Maple was identified and charged in connection with the fatal hit-and-run.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 14, 2025, before District Judge Jason Lane in Harvey County District Court.
The Harvey County Attorney’s Office extends its appreciation to the Harvey County Sheriff’s Office and the Newton Police Department for their diligent work in bringing this case to resolution.
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NEWTON, Kan. — Newton Police arrested a Hutchinson woman Monday evening in the fatal hit-and-run crash that killed a Newton woman Monday morning.
Samara Maple, 23, was booked into Harvey County Jail on preliminary charges of failure to stop at an accident resulting in death, which is a felony. She is being held without bond.
Laurie Robinson, 64, of Newton, died Monday morning after she was struck by a car while walking on Southeast 24th Street just east of I-135 in Newton. Police began searching for a white Honda or Acura with passenger-side damage. Maple’s white Honda was taken by police after her arrest.
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NEWTON, Kan. —Police have located the vehicle and driver involved in fatal hit-and-run that occurred Monday morning in Newton, according to a social media report from Newton Police.
The City of Newton identified the victim as 64-year-old Laurie Robinson of Newton. She was killed in the hit-and-run on Southeast 24th Street just east of I-135 in Newton.