Elian Jurado Zavala, 19, of Bay Shore, was in Suffolk in connection with the death of Nicholas Puzio on Wednesday 5 July. The county court was charged for leaving the scene of the accident without reporting.
The accident occurred at approximately 4:00 am on Sunday, March 12, in Patchogue.
Early report: Fatal hit-and-run accident: 25-year-old man arrested after being hit at Patchoag intersection
According to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, Zavala was driving a Honda Civic southbound on Route 112 near Oak Street when it crossed the road and struck Puccio.
Puzio, 25, of Farmingville, was taken to Long Island Community Hospital in Patchogue, where he was pronounced dead.
Zavala took off immediately after the crash, did not call 911 or stop to make sure the man was safe, prosecutors said.
Instead, he parked briefly at a nearby gas station before driving home.
Suffolk County Police detectives found Zavala’s vehicle at his home the next day and arrested him after noticing damage to its front end.
Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney said: “The defendant allegedly drove away from the scene of the fatal crash and then returned home as if nothing had happened, leaving the victim to die. on the street.”
“Despite the defendant’s initial attempt to escape responsibility by running away, he will now be forced to take responsibility for this crime.”
In court on Wednesday, a judge released Zavala on supervised release while his case was pending. He will return to court on Monday, July 31.
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