Two men have been arrested in connection with a hit-and-run in Staten Island that left Brunilda Maldonado, 47, dead. Maldonado was struck yesterday around 2:30 a.m. after pulling her car over on Targee Street and Laurel Avenue to deal with overheating. Her niece told WABC, "I went to get her some water, and before I knew it, I came downstairs and she had gotten hit by a car, a black car, like sped. She was thrown, almost a hundred feet from where her car was to under another car, that's not a nice thing at all."
Police caught the driver of the black Mazda, 19-year-old David Lozano, back at his home just up the block. He was charged with leaving the scene of an accident and DWI, blowing a .16 four hours after the crash. One witness said of Lozano, "He was just saying, like 'What the **** did I do, what did I do?'"
A second man, Daniel Shields, was also arrested in connection to the crash. The 23-year-old had pulled over to help Maldonado, and witnessed Lozano slamming into her. Shields got back into his car and chased after Lozano, only to lose him and return to the scene of the crime. There, police smelled alcohol on his breath, and he was arrested for DWI with a .10 blood alcohol content.
Moldano's family is devastated by the accident. Her niece told the Daily News, "For her to die like this is just wrong. This is going to shake our family so much. I don't know how much more we can take." Her brother-in-law said, "Her problem was a big open heart. She would go through stretches where she would take care of other people before herself." Locals are also upset about all the cars that speed down Targee Street, saying it's dangerous for the neighborhood. One resident said, "I've been living here for like, 13 years, and I seen over 10 accidents here, and like maybe 5 or 7 people die."
