Thread: Good samaritan stops driver after hitting teenage girls

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?se...cal&id=7452987

GARDEN CITY, NY (WABC) -- Three of the four teenagers are recovering from injuries at Winthrop University Hospital after being struck in a Long Island intersection.

The quick work of a good samaritan led to the arrest of a 26-year-old driver.

Elias Garcia faces multiple charges of assault, reckless driving and endangerment.

"His crime compounded itself and become much more serious when he left the scene of an accident," said Lt. Ray Cote, with the Nassau Co. Police Dept.

The scene was chaotic at one of the busiest Long Island intersections at the busiest time of the day. Four 16-year-old teenage girls were mowed down as they were crossing Old Country road at Glen Cove road.

"Two of the girls were struck in the crosswalk. The other two were hanging were stuck on the hood of the car," said Steven Loverde.

Loverde's first inclination was to stop and help until the contractor saw the driver who had just struck the girls.

"In a very quick moment I saw him accelerating and trying to escape," said Loverde.

Loverde, then maneuvering his car around the chaos began chasing after the driver down Clinton road.

"As I was speeding I was flashing my high beams and honking my horn. So he saw me coming after him. At that point he started speeding up even faster," adds Loverde.

There are very few stop lights for quite some distance and they approach Stewart Avenue, where suddenly the light turns red.

At that point, the other driver stops and had nowhere to go. So Steven jumps from his car and confronts the driver at the curb.

"I swung open his door, pulled him out, took his keys out of the ignition," adds Steven. He then said to Garcia, "You left the scene. The girls are hurt back there, how could you just drive away? It's in-humane to do something like that. And he just looked at me and said, I didn't see them, I didn't see them."

Police say drugs and alcohol were not a factor. Garcia did not have a license and is undocumented.

"Mr. Garcia could have remained at the scene and given his account. Certainly things could have been less difficult for him at this point," adds Lt. Cote.

Loverde hugs his own daughter, about the same age as the girls. "This could be my daughter, this could be anyone's daughter. And this guy cannot get away with this," he adds.

Ahhhh... UNDOCUMENTED.

illegal alien from Guatemala.....

Do you think he has insurance? (4 girls in hospital)

http://www.longislandpress.com/2010/...e-hit-and-run/

Driver Pleads Not Guilty in Carle Place Hit-and-run (how am I not surprised)


The driver who allegedly mowed down four 16-year-old girls in a Carle Place hit-and-run crash on Wednesday evening pleaded not guilty Thursday to a slew of charges.

He is being held at Nassau County jail after a judge set his bail at $1.5 million during his arraignment at First District Court in Hempstead.

The girls were crossing Old Country Road southbound at the corner of Glen Cove Road when Garcia blew the re light, knocked two teens down and continued driving briefly before Garcia stopped to push the other two teens off the hood, police said.

A Good Samaritan chased Garcia down and held him for police, who took him into custody on Clinton Road in Garden City. Investigators said Garcia fled the scene because he is in the country illegally.

Three of the victims taken to Winthrop University Hospital in Mineola including the most seriously injured girl, who was listed in critical but stable condition with a head injury. The fourth teen was taken to Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow.

Garcia is represented by Legal Aid, which has a policy of not commenting on cases. He is due back in court on Monday.

...And he just looked at me and said, "I didn't see them, I didn't see them."

Which contridicts reports :

...knocked two teens down and continued driving briefly before Garcia stopped to push the other two teens off the hood, police said.

Investigators said Garcia fled the scene because he is in the country illegally.

No passport - no DL - no insurance - not familar with the "rules of the road" ??