Arrest Made In Melville Hit-And-Run That Killed 85-Year-Old Man
MELVILLE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Police made an arrest in the hit-and-run crash that claimed the life of an elderly Long Island man last Friday.
Robert Hosking, 85, was struck Friday night by a vehicle traveling south on Route 110 in Melville. He died of his injuries the next day.
On Tuesday, police arrested Floral Park resident Harvinder Hothi on a charge of leaving the scene of an accident.
The 45-year-old Hothi was arraigned Wednesday. He was ordered held on $400,000 bond or $200,000 cash bail.
Prosecutors allege Hothi took his car to a junkyard the day after the accident in an attempt to disguise the damaged vehicle.
Suffolk County Assistant District Attorney Marc Lindemann said Hothi took his 1997 Toyota Corolla to a junkyard in Queens on Saturday, according to published reports. Lindemann said Hothi had the car repaired and repainted.
The public defender representing Hothi said his client was "very remorseful.''
Hosking's death has prompted a call from residents and business owners for a traffic light where he was attempting to cross Route 110.
In the last five years, a dozen pedestrians have been killed on Route 110, with some critics rating it one of the top 10 most dangerous roads, TV 10/55 Long Island Bureau Chief Richard Rose reported on Monday.
"People go way too fast to begin with," said David Katz, of Melville. "So definitely put in a yellow light, or a stop sign, or a light, or do something — because it's not going to work the way it is."
Hosking was killed in front of Raj Rametra's liquor store. After witnessing numerous accidents, the store owner believes there should be a traffic light where Hosking was trying to cross.
"The car came in and hit him and then ran away," Rametra said. "It was a hit-and-run."
The New York State Department of Transportation said it will look into whether additional safety measures are needed in the area. But the department advised everyone to follow the rules of the road – whether it is pedestrians crossing in the middle of the block or drivers not obeying the posted speed limit.
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