A woman from Long Island, who only held a learner’s permit, fatally hit a pedestrian while driving in Suffolk County, according to prosecutors on Monday.
Police stated that Silvia Alvarez De Reyes, 46, initially fled the Riverside crash site but returned about two hours later with friends, leading to her arrest, as reported by News 12 Long Island.
The victim, Ever Eli Damian Mazat, a 46-year-old resident of Flanders, was killed in the incident, Newsday reported. Reyes, a Shirley resident, faces charges of leaving the scene of a fatal accident, classified as a felony.
She pleaded not guilty at her arraignment Monday, News 12 reported. She was ordered held on $25,000 cash bail.
Mazat was discovered unconscious on Flanders Road, close to Vail Avenue in Riverside, around 7:30 p.m. on Sunday by a patrolling Southampton Town officer, Newsday mentioned.
Authorities believe Mazat might have been walking in the road when he was struck by a vehicle that quickly departed the scene, according to Patch. He was pronounced dead before reaching the hospital.
Neighbors told News 12 they’ve made several complaints about the dangers of walking in the area.
“Either the light gets moved to the crosswalk or the crosswalk gets moved to the light,” Flanders resident Al Lopez told the outlet.
Newsday noted two other major traffic incidents in Suffolk County on the same day. In St. James, a Toyota Camry driver was critically injured from another car collision while exiting his driveway, and in Shirley, another pedestrian was hit and severely injured.
