Background: News footage of Caitlin Kelly in court for her sentencing on Dec. 2 (WPRI). Inset: Vanda Makovetskiy (Legacy.com).
A Rhode Island motorist has entered a no-contest plea in connection with a tragic hit-and-run incident that resulted in the death of an 85-year-old woman.
Caitlin Kelly, 29, appeared before the court on Tuesday to plead no contest to charges related to failing to stop at an accident scene that resulted in a fatality. This plea comes over two years after she struck Vanda Makovetskiy with her vehicle. Makovetskiy was walking alongside her husband, with whom she had shared 53 years of marriage, when the incident occurred. The couple was cherished in their Providence neighborhood for their routine morning walks, which they began after immigrating from Ukraine in 1995.
As reported by local CBS affiliate WPRI, prosecutors revealed that surveillance cameras captured Kelly stopping at a red light at 6:14 a.m. on October 4, 2023. Shortly thereafter, she turned onto North Main Street, where the Makovetskiys were enjoying their customary morning stroll, a beloved ritual they maintained for 28 years.
The community fondly remembered the Makovetskiys’ daily walks, a testament to their enduring love, as noted in the victim’s obituary.
The tragic collision was also captured on video, showing Kelly’s failure to stop and provide aid after striking the elderly woman. Instead, she was seen driving away, only pausing at another red light before continuing from the scene.
Prosecutors highlighted that Kelly sent a text message to a friend roughly three minutes after the collision, stating, “I just hit someone head-on riding a scooter.” Additionally, she filed an insurance claim following the accident.
Two days after Kelly killed Makovetskiy, her car was towed by investigators looking into the fatal crash. She texted two of her friends saying, “I’m so f—ing scared” and “I’m in deep s—.” Prosecutors stated that Kelly’s actions proved that she knowingly avoided reporting the crash.
A spokesperson for Makovetskiy’s family read statements at the hearing on their behalf, including a statement from her widower. Anisim Makovetskiy, now 96, wrote, “My plan was completely different. I’m older, and I couldn’t even imagine that I would be left without my other half. I shudder and my heart breaks every time people meet me on the street and remember how they saw us both every day.”
Kelly was sentenced to 10 years in prison with three to serve, followed by 10 years probation and the suspension of her license for three years.
