Candidate leaves scene of crash

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (WTNH) -- A Democratic candidate fresh off a primary win for a state house seat is accused of hitting a car, then leaving the scene of the accident.

Christina Ayala, 29, clinched the nomination Tuesday night and the very next day police say she crashed into another car.

The victim's mother, Mireja Porto says she's lucky her 26-year-old daughter Krystal Velez survived, while looking at a picture of the twisted mangled car.

"We're just trying to deal," said Porto, "my daughter's upstairs in bed, she's not well, her head hurts, her neck hurts, her back hurts, she's in lots of pain."

Police say the cars collided just before 9 Wednesday evening.

Witnesses say Ayala ran a red light and hit the front of Velez's car.

The Stokes family was driving behind Velez.

That's when witnesses say Ayala took off and Cherise Stokes stayed with Velez to make sure she was alright, while Kenneth Stokes tracked Ayala about a half mile down the road.

"Find a stranger in an accident, see the whole thing, and then chase a stranger down because you know what was done was wrong," Porto said, "that's what's amazing about them and I'm eternally grateful for that."

News 8 tried talking to Ayala, but all we found was some of her campaign signs and a beat up car.

"She could have died, that's how bad it is, you know, that's how bad it could've been. Thank God that wasn't the end result, but you just left," said Porto.

And as for Ayala's political aspirations, Porto says, "it's poor on you and it's poor as a rep., if you're representing us as a city, poor on you."

Ayala told police she got out of her car to check on Velez, but a man yelled at her and she left because she was scared.

Kenneth Stokes denies that claim.

She also says she was not sure if she had the green light, even though she's been charged with failure to obey.