Miami Gardens hit-and-run driver to have trial after prosecutors revoke plea deal – NBC 6 South Florida

A woman who was arrested for a 2023 hit-and-run in Miami Gardens that hurt two pedestrians and killed one woman will be going to trial after prosecutors took a plea deal off the table on Monday.

Sharon Leola Cox, 62, was charged with leaving the scene of a crash involving death, two counts of leaving a crash involving no serious injury, leaving the scene of an accident and causing property damage, and driving with a suspended license.

State attorneys previously offered Cox a one-year prison deal but after the family spoke out against it.

According to police, in July of 2023, Cox plowed through a parking lot at the 16400 block of Northwest 25th Avenue, killing 67-year-old Patricia Garner and injuring two others.

“She still gets to wake up every day, eat where she wants to eat, go and come in her house, Patricia, all that was taken away from her,” said Garner’s brother, Bruce Baskin.

Cox, who is on house arrest, was willing to plea guilty on Friday in exchange for the one-year prison deal followed by probation.

Garner’s family called the deal, which was approved by the Miami-Dade State Attorneys, a slap on the wrist.

“It was very disrespectful to the memory of Patricia,” Baskin said. “It was basically insulting because to take a life and possibly only face 366 days in prison, that’s a travesty.

Garner’s family demanded the judge to deny the deal that went below the minimum mandatory of four years in prison that Cox qualified for.

“To see my aunt in that hospital bleeding from her head from this lady causing this, she shouldn’t been behind the wheel, having a DUI in another state,” said Latricia Mobley Wooten, Garner’s niece. “She shouldn’t have never gotten behind the wheel. From the moment she made that decision, she risked my aunties life and now we no longer have her, so we want her to get the maximum.”

After the family’s call for justice and NBC6’s report, state attorneys dropped the offer and stopped future negotiations.

“She’s disappointed,” said Andrew Rier, a defense attorney. “We thought we had a resolution that gave closure to the next of kin and closure to Mrs. Cox

Cox will now head to trial, where if she is convicted, could face up to 40 years in prison.

Records show Cox had a case in Georgia for weaving through traffic and possessing marijuana.

As for the Florida case, her trial is set for September.

Garner’s family told NBC6 that they hope this case gets reviewed by lawmakers and prosecutors so it doesn’t happen again.