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Driver, 89, charged with vehicular homicide in 4-year-old's death

E-mail|Link June 15, 2009 04:25 PM

By Andrew Ryan and Brian R. Ballou, Globe Staff

The 89-year-old woman who struck and killed a 4-year-old girl with her car on Saturday in Stoughton has been charged with motor vehicle homicide, the Norfolk District Attorney's office said this afternoon. The Registry of Motor Vehicles also revoked her driver's license, citing her as an "immediate threat.''

On Saturday morning, Ilse Horn of Canton hit Diya Patel as the girl was crossing the street. A reporter knocked on Horn's door today and she did not answer.

Horn's driving record indicates that she has been found responsible for five car crashes since 1982. The most recent crash before Saturday was on June 9, 2001, in Newton. Horn also received on speeding ticket on April 26, 1995, in West Roxbury, according to the driving record.

In a story in today's Globe, Patel's relatives recalled her as a tiny girl with black eyes and a wide toothy grin who loved the color pink, dancing in front of the television, and dressing up.

The registry typically designates a driver as an "immediate threat" at the request of a police department and after a review a police report about a crash. To appeal, drivers can request a hearing at the registry. If that fails, a driver's case can be taken to a three-member board of appeals.

That decision can be appeal once again to superior court. To get a license back, a driver may have to take a new road test and obtain a certificate from a doctor attesting that they have the medical ability to drive.