Melissa Rodríguez López was charged with causing a fatal crash during an illegal drag race in Queens (NYC), fleeing, and then attempting to defraud insurance by claiming her vehicle had been stolen prior to the fatality.
Rodríguez López, a 28-year-old Bronx resident, was arrested and charged with murder yesterday when investigators used the DNA recovered from car airbag to refute his alibi in the accident where he was apparently going to 123mph.
A 62-year-old Uber passenger was killed and his driver seriously injured in the crash that occurred at 3 a.m. on May 27.but Rodríguez López was not arrested until this week following the results of the forensic evidence, reported Daily News.
Steven Spaulding suffered strokes after emergency surgeries, was paralyzed from the neck down for his last days of life, and died on June 10.. “I can’t get my husband back,” lamented Tara Spaulding. “But if this can prevent this from happening to someone else, that’s important,” she said after the suspect’s arrest.
The 43-year-old Uber driver sustained serious neck and back injuries and is still recovering. A passenger in Rodríguez López’s Lexus suffered knee and lower leg injuries.
Rodríguez López, who describes herself as a street racing enthusiast, fled the scene in another racer’s vehicle, according to prosecutors. She was arrested in Bethpage (Long Island) at the home of a family friend. on Tuesday, police said.
“We will not tolerate the use of our roads as race tracks,” said the Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz. “This defendant’s alleged selfish actions and reckless disregard for traffic rules resulted in a tragedy. She will be fully responsible.”
The young woman was indicted on half a dozen charges, including manslaughter, assault, leaving the scene of an accident and reckless driving, Katz said. faces 25 years to life in prison if convicted.
Hours after the accident, the suspect arrived at the 52nd District police station in The Bronx to report that her car had been stolen and at that moment was caught on NYPD body cameras with an arm injury consistent with the deployment of the airbags, prosecutor Katz said.
In addition to armed violence, traffic accidents are another great challenge for Mayor Eric Adams. This despite “Vision Zero” (Vision Zero), traffic safety plan created in 2014 by then-new mayor Bill de Blasio, who promised to make the city safer for pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists with a goal of zero deaths by 2024. According to the NYPD, cyclist deaths increased 260% in the first six months of 2023 and 325% since the implementation of the “Vision Zero” plan in 2014.
The New York authorities recall that there is zero tolerance for drivers who speed and/or drive under the influence of alcohol and drugs.
