Trial of woman accused in hit and run goes to jury

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Jurors are deliberating this afternoon in the trial of an Eagle Point woman accused of failing to stop last year after accidentally striking and killing 15-year-old Manuel Antonio-Gonzalez, who was lying on Medford's North Riverside Avenue.

Mary Ann Shostrom, 53, faces up to 30 days of incarceration if convicted of the felony hit-and-run charge, formally known as "failure to perform the duties of a driver to an injured person."

Closing arguments concluded just before noon today after jurors heard testimony from Shostrom and the victim's brother, 15-year-old Juan Gonzalez, who was 14 at the time of the accident, April 13, 2008.

Juan testified that his brother got emotional after drinking five shots of tequila and having an argument with their mother. Juan said that Manuel told him no one would miss him if he died and then laid down on Riverside to end his life.

"I was going to go get him and pick him up," Juan testified. "That's when a car came by."

Juan's account of what happened changed a few times, but the prosecution and the defense agreed that his description of the car remained consistent: a white sedan with stock wheel rims. However, Juan testified that he told police an overweight man was driving the vehicle, possibly accompanied by one or two passengers.

Shostrom testified she remembered driving over "a bump" at about 2 a.m. that night. However, construction on the road at the time caused her not to think much of it, she said.

— Paris Achen

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