Family members speak about the couple of elderly Cubans who were run over in Hialeah.

The daughter and son-in-law of a couple of elderly Cubans who died in Hialeah after being fatally struck by a woman who fled the scene are devastated.

"This has truly been a very big family tragedy," said María, the only daughter of the couple, in statements to the local press. The elderly couple had been married for over 50 years and had lived in the area where the incident occurred for 45 years.

"If you run over an animal, you can get out and check," added the woman, who can't believe the coldness with which the driver fled the scene, leaving the elderly people lying on the asphalt, whose bodies were thrown several meters away due to the force of the impact.

"May justice be served, because it is unforgivable," he concluded.

“That immense pain that she [María] is going through is being felt by all of us,” said Jorge Alonso, the son-in-law of the victims, who argues that his wife had no children, and that “those two old folks were like her children.”

Regarding the deceased couple, Julio Eduardo Hernández, 87 years old, and Manuela Hernández, 84, it was explained that they were a very close marriage and that they always went together and "holding hands" everywhere.

"There is a sense of calm because we know that the guilty will not go unpunished and that, in the end, God always intervenes so that everyone pays in the moment. That woman, who we don't know, who we don't know who she is, let justice find out why she abandoned, she should have stayed there, she should have asked for help, called for rescue," noted Jorge Alonso.

Regarding the circumstances in which the tragic accident occurred—around 7 PM on Sunday at 48th Street and 8th Avenue East in Hialeah—the man explained that his parents-in-law were playing "their number in the Powerball" and were returning after having purchased the ticket when they were struck.

The elderly couple, who lived in a house next to their daughter and son-in-law, were accustomed to walking around the area.

The family thanks the authorities for the speed with which they found the person responsible for the accident, as shortly after an hour of the incident, the police arrested Sucej Calcines, 47 years old, at her home.

The police reviewed the cameras, followed the route, and managed to track the car, a black 2007 Mercedes Benz GL450, thanks to the surveillance in the area.

The woman is now charged with two counts of vehicular homicide and two counts of leaving the scene of a fatal accident and could face up to 76 years in prison.

Sucej Calcines appeared this Tuesday in the Miami-Dade criminal court, where a bail of $30,000 was imposed on her.

Authorities insist once again on the serious complications that arise when leaving the scene of an accident.

Before escaping from the scene, it is just that, "an accident"; however, fleeing the place without providing the necessary aid to potential victims becomes a serious crime.

In Florida, the penalties for leaving the scene of an accident that has caused death or serious bodily injury are severe.

The crime can be classified as a second-degree felony, which carries a penalty of up to 15 years in prison or probation, in addition to a fine of $10,000.

Beyond human sensitivity, which should always compel us to assist those in need, legally, anyone involved in an accident must remain at the scene, check that all drivers and passengers are okay, and immediately call the police.