CHESAPEAKE, Va. — A Chesapeake Circuit Court judge on Thursday denied a motion to reduce the prison sentence for a man convicted in a hit-and-run crash that killed an 8-year-old boy.
Richard Humbert was sentenced earlier this year to 10 years in prison, with five years suspended, for the October 2023 hit-and-run that killed Forrest Hooper. The crash happened on South Battlefield Boulevard in Chesapeake, and Humbert was later found guilty of fleeing the scene.
Watch previous coverage: Memorial fundraiser celebrates birthday of 8-year-old hit & run victim
Forrest’s grandmother, Cindy Lutz, said the latest court appearance reopened wounds.
“I’m angry that we had to go through this again,” Lutz said outside the courtroom. “It just robs your breath and brings you right back to 10-3-23, you know, the date Forrest died.”
Earlier this month, Lutz learned that Humbert and his attorney had filed a motion to vacate his prison sentence.
In court Thursday, Humbert’s attorney presented new testimony from his mother — who did not appear in person — and cited a learning disability Humbert had in elementary and middle school. Humbert also discussed his good behavior while in custody in hopes of having his sentence reduced.
“I mean, are you kidding me? What next? That really is what went through my head,” Lutz said of the motion.
Watch previous coverage: Man sentenced to 5 years for killing 8-year-old boy with his car in Chesapeake
Prosecutors argued that Humbert’s learning challenges and conduct while incarcerated did not excuse his decision to flee the scene of the crash or his attempts to monitor the case through local media reports.
Ultimately, the judge denied the motion.
In court, Humbert’s public defender said he plans to appeal the conviction. As of this report, the attorney has not responded to a request for comment.
“He knew exactly what he did,” Lutz said. “I saw my grandson's hand prints on the hood of that car right outside his field of vision where he was driving.”
Lutz said her family still wants more accountability from Humbert.
“I would have liked to have heard him say, ‘I’m sorry for destroying your family. I’m sorry for taking your grandbaby from you, the child you’ve raised since he was six weeks old,’” she said.
She believes the current sentence sends a clear message.
“If you're driving on the road and you hit something, you need to stop, whether it's a car, a sign, a child, a fire hydrant,” Lutz said.
Still, no amount of punishment, she said, can bring back her grandson.
Lutz shared a heartfelt message intended for her grandson: “Yaya loves you, and I’m still taking care of things here. And hopefully you’ll be waiting for me when I get to heaven.”
