A retired police officer is facing homicide and drunken driving charges in a fatal crash in the Hudson Valley Saturday, officials say.
Richard O’Keefe, 57, was arrested after a three-car crash on state Route 6 in Mahopac, according to the New York State Police.
Authorities say O’Keefe was drunk when his Dodge Caravan t-boned a Jeep that had failed to yield to the right of way while leaving a parking lot. The Jeep overturned and hit a third vehicle that was heading the other way on the roadway.
One of the passengers in the Jeep, 54-year-old Frances Ghelarducci, was killed in the crash. The driver and other passengers sustained nonlife-threatening injuries, while the driver of the third car was not hurt.
O’Keefe and his passenger were not hurt.
When troopers arrived at the scene they interviewed O’Keefe and determined the ex-cop was drunk at the time of the crash, authorities say. He is facing charges of aggravated vehicular homicide, vehicular manslaughter and driving while intoxicated.
It’s not clear if the driver of the Jeep will face charges.
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The crash closed down Route 6 for several hours.
O’Keefe retired from the Carmel Police Department and is a former member of the Mahopac Board of Education and the Carmel Town Board, according to The Journal News.
It wasn't immediately clear if O'Keefe had an attorney.
