Hit-and-run claims life of former Queens University student athlete, CMPD says
A former student athlete at Queens University of Charlotte was killed in a hit-and-run while walking along The Plaza in Charlotte, investigators say.
Lance Andreas Jesus Sotelo, 25, died at the scene, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said in a Jan. 15 news release.
Sotelo was a past member of the Men’s Cross Country and Track and Field teams at Queens University, and had competed as recently as 2025, the university reports.
The deadly crash occurred around 5:45 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 14, in the 3300 block of The Plaza, which is largely commercial, maps show.
“Officers located a severely injured pedestrian ... in the roadway,” CMPD said. “The preliminary investigation indicates that the vehicle that struck ... Sotelo was a white Chevrolet Impala. The Impala was traveling southwest on The Plaza at East 36th Street when the vehicle ran a red light at the intersection and struck ... Sotelo, before fleeing the scene.”
On Thursday, Jan. 15, Q’Laundra Kadri Hood, 28, was identified as the driver, CMPD said. Hood turned herself in at the Hickory Grove Division office, officials said.
She has been charged with:
- Felony hit-and-run
- Involuntary manslaughter
- No operator’s license
- Failing to stop at a red light
A 2023 Facebook post by Queens University of Charlotte noted Sotelo was a student-athlete, resident assistant and student body president at the time. Sotelo graduated in 2023, then began work on an MBA from the McColl School of Business, the university reported.
Sotelo was originally from Dalton, Georgia, and earned Cross Country MVP honors in high school, according to the Men’s Cross Country team roster.
“I would never want to be at a school where I am just a number. I love being somewhere where I am ‘somebody.’ Somebody that people know, somebody that people say ‘hi’ to across campus, and somebody who is able to have an impact,” Sotelo was quoted saying in a 2023 article published by the university.
A GoFundMe campaign is raising money for funeral expenses. The campaign notes Sotelo did not have life insurance and “had just landed a nice job” the day of the crash.
Among the growing tributes to Sotelo was a social media post by the Dalton High School Catamount Cross Country team.
“For four seasons, (Sotelo) approached each practice and race with purpose, grit, and a quiet strength that inspired ... teammates and coaches alike. Lance ... showed kindness, respect, and a genuine care for others,” the team wrote in a Facebook post.
Sotelo was also well known in Charlotte’s running community, according to officials with Around the Crown 10K. Sotelo ran in the organization’s “first ever official non-binary category and won,” a social media post reported.
“Lance was a huge part of our running community. Having run at Queens University, where they absolutely dominated, Lance entered the race scene fast and with flare, their tattooed rainbow armband proudly worn as they blazed in local races. They most recently placed 5th overall in the Novant Health Charlotte Marathon,” Around the Crowd 10K said.
Charlotte’s District 5 councilman Juan Diego “JD” Mazuera Arias noted Sotelo’s death happened along a stretch of road that is known to be dangerous for pedestrians.
“I knew Lance. We weren’t close, but we attended Queens University of Charlotte together,” Arias wrote in a Facebook post.
“It was preventable. ... Lance was killed on a street that is part of Charlotte’s High Injury Network — roads we already know are dangerous. That is a failure of design and a failure of urgency.”
This story was originally published January 15, 2026 at 3:27 PM.