Memphis hit-and-run case ends with prison sentence for driver in death of Ava Christopher

Six-year sentence imposed in 2023 crash that killed University of Memphis student

A Shelby County Criminal Court judge on Wednesday sentenced 20-year-old Julio Hernandez to six years in prison for a Midtown hit-and-run crash that killed University of Memphis student Ava Christopher.

The sentence follows Hernandez’s guilty plea entered on Feb. 10, 2026, to three charges: reckless vehicular homicide, leaving the scene of an accident involving death, and driving without a license. Court records show Hernandez had been indicted on those counts in February 2025.

What happened in July 2023

Christopher was killed after a collision at the intersection of Cooper Street and Central Avenue in Memphis in the early hours of July 25, 2023. Investigators tied Hernandez to a Dodge Charger involved in the crash and alleged the vehicle was stolen. Police previously said the driver and a woman left the scene on foot shortly after the collision. Christopher later died at a hospital.

Hernandez was arrested nearly four months after the crash and was later released on bond while the case proceeded.

Breakdown of the punishment and court rulings

The judge denied both diversion and probation and ordered a prison term totaling six years. The court imposed:

• five years for reckless vehicular homicide,
• one year for leaving the scene of an accident involving death,
• 30 days for driving without a license.

The case was resolved without a trial after Hernandez entered guilty pleas.

Family impact and public courtroom statements

After sentencing, Christopher’s mother, Angela Christopher, described the case as a prolonged ordeal for the family and emphasized the lasting impact of the loss. She contrasted Hernandez’s fixed prison term with the permanence of the family’s grief and the life Christopher will not get to live.

“It’s been an extremely difficult journey… He knows what his sentence is… We’re forever impacted by this.”

Case timeline

• July 25, 2023: Crash at Cooper and Central; Ava Christopher later dies.
• November 2023: Hernandez arrested roughly four months after the crash.
• February 2025: Indictment returned on felony and misdemeanor charges.
• Feb. 10, 2026: Hernandez pleads guilty.
• March 25, 2026: Judge sentences Hernandez to six years in prison; diversion and probation denied.

The sentencing closes the criminal phase of a case that drew sustained attention in Memphis because of the circumstances of the crash and the victim’s ties to the University of Memphis.