by Logan Gruber
operations@thenewsleaders.com
Jeremy Ulik of St. Joseph was sentenced to 60 days in jail Nov. 12 for the hit-and-run crash that killed 5-year-old Cody Nuckolls April 13.
Cody was struck by Ulik’s vehicle while Cody’s mother, Lorraine Hipp, waited across the street for Cody’s sister to get off a school bus. Cody was declared dead at the hospital. Police used video from the school bus to identify the vehicle.
Ulik told police he knew he had hit Cody but believed he was OK because he saw him standing as he drove away.
Ulik was originally charged with two counts of failing to stop at a collision causing injury or death. He pleaded guilty Sept. 18 to one of the two counts in exchange for receiving no more than 75 days in jail and the dropping of the other charge.
Ulik’s 60 days in jail will begin no later than Nov. 20 so he has time to arrange for care of his children. Besides the jail time, Ulik was also sentenced to perform 120 hours of community service and to pay restitution to Cody’s family of $19,875.24, along with a fine of $50. Ulik received credit for one day served in jail already but will have to undergo a chemical-dependence assessment.
Cody’s parents, Lorraine and William “Ryan” Nuckolls, were at the sentencing.
Ulik’s lawyer said Ulik has nightmares and said he regrets every second of the incident.
Ryan haltingly read a statement during the sentencing. Lorraine joined Ryan at his side. The statement read, in part, as follows:
“April 13, 2015. A day that changed all of our lives forever. This will be the most difficult thing most of us could ever face. Every day we think of Cody, of what he was like, what he might be like. If you had stopped, who knows what would have happened. Cody’s fate may have been the same, but we might view you differently . . . My main obstacle will be how and when to describe this event to our daughter.”
