(914) 220-1086Sister Jacqueline Walsh, a Sister of Mercy in a Long Island parish, was killed by a hit and run driver after spending a day of retreat in the Hamptons with fellow nuns, the NY Post reports. When she was struck, Sister Walsh was walking along the road outside the estate where the nuns were staying. The driver left the scene, and as yet has not been found by police.
Section 600 of the New York Vehicle and Traffic Law requires that an individual operating a motor vehicle who knowingly causes personal injury to another while in the operation of the vehicle must provide identification to the injured party. Obviously in the case of a death this is not practical, and because of the death this offense is more serious than the Class B misdemeanor associated with a standard hit and run. When the hit and run results in death, the law provides that this constitutes a Class D felony, punishable by a severe fine and prison time.
According to the story in the Post, local police know who was operating the vehicle at the time of the accident, although they have yet to take him into custody.
Resource: NY Post, Selim Algar, July 11, 2012
