DWI Spring Valley Driver Kills 4-Year-Old Girl, Seriously Injures 3 Others Leaving Park: Cops
A 4-year-old girl was killed and three others, including two young boys, were seriously injured after a suspected drunk driver plowed into a group of pedestrians near a park in Rockland County, police said.
At the scene.
The crash happened around 9:20 p.m. on Saturday, June 14, on Old Nyack Turnpike near 142 Old Nyack Turnpike, according to Spring Valley Police. The victims were leaving the park when a black vehicle jumped the curb and hit them as they walked along the sidewalk.
Police said 41-year-old Axel Lopez-Santiago, of Spring Valley, was found wedged in his vehicle, which had become disabled after the crash. Four victims were rushed to Westchester Medical Center. A 2-year-old boy was treated for injuries, while a 5-year-old boy, a 31-year-old man, and a 4-year-old girl were all listed in life-threatening condition, officials said.
Despite life-saving efforts, the 4-year-old girl died hours later, police said.
Lopez-Santiago was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital and later arrested. Police say he was under the influence of alcohol. He was charged with:
Aggravated Vehicular Homicide with a Previous DWI Conviction
- Aggravated Vehicular Homicide Causing the Death of One Person and Serious Physical Injury of at Least One Other
- Vehicular Assault in the First Degree
- Reckless Driving
- Driving While Intoxicated
He was arraigned on Sunday, June 15, and held on $750,000 cash bail, according to the Spring Valley Justice Court.
