CITY, STATE – A 22-year-old man has been arrested after allegedly striking a mother riding an e-bike while driving drunk, then continuing to drive for eight blocks with her body wedged in his windshield before it finally fell to the street, authorities said.
Xavier Rigby was taken into custody after the horrific incident that claimed the life of Kjersten Strang, a single mother who was riding her electric bicycle when she was struck. The impact was so forceful that Strang’s body became embedded in Rigby’s windshield as he continued driving.
According to investigators, Rigby drove approximately eight blocks with Strang’s body lodged in the windshield of his Nissan Altima before her body dislodged and fell to the ground. Even after the victim’s body fell from his vehicle, Rigby allegedly continued driving and was eventually apprehended about a mile away at a closed liquor store.
The case has drawn attention from forensic experts who note that the distance traveled and the suspect’s continued flight demonstrate a shocking disregard for human life. Crime scene investigators will reconstruct the incident by examining damage patterns, debris fields, and the vehicle’s path to build a comprehensive timeline of events.
Authorities believe Rigby was driving under the influence at the time of the collision. The force required to embed a human body in a windshield typically indicates excessive speed combined with the driver’s failure to brake, suggesting Rigby may not have attempted to stop even at the moment of impact.
Strang’s death has devastated her family and community, with loved ones mourning the loss of a devoted mother whose life was cut short by an allegedly impaired driver. The incident serves as a grim reminder of the deadly consequences of driving under the influence.
The case was analyzed on the “Crime Stories with Nancy Grace” podcast, where forensic expert Joseph Scott Morgan and prosecutor Dave Mack discussed how investigators would piece together the crime scene evidence to build a case against the suspect.
Rigby faces potential charges that could include vehicular manslaughter, driving under the influence causing death, and leaving the scene of a fatal accident. Authorities have not released additional details about his criminal history or the specific charges he will face.
Charge him with Murder I, not mere manslaughter, put him away for a LONG time, and permanently revoke his driving privilege.
To ensure consistency in punishment meted out, should the nation accept the 56-day sentence given to a young man who killed a high school female student by crashing into her, just because he is a football player.
This should then apply to the teenager who stalked and killed two girls recently and in the case of Xavier Rigby?
Perhaps not, the punishment ought to be more severe, and if mental incapacity is claimed as a mitigating factor, then the perpetrator should be placed in a mental asylum till such time as he/she has fully recovered, rather than a psychiatric review and release.
The victim’s family should challenge and sue the judge if not satisfied with the verdict and not just appeal to a higher court and let the errant judge go Scot free.