A deadly hit-and-run in a Long Island neighborhood that left an 80-year-old woman dead may not have been an accident, according to police.
A black Subaru with heavy front-end damage was towed away from the scene in West Islip on Monday, with a splintered and scattered fence some of the only remnants of a deadly crash. Police said the woman was inside the car at some point, but got out and started walking home on Tanglewood Road around 9:30 p.m. Sunday.
"They witnessed her walking down, she wasn't in the car at that time," said neighbor Ralph Schuster, who has lived in the area for 55 years.
Detectives said after the woman got out of the car, the driver of the Subaru intentionally ran her over on the sidewalk, crashing into a neighbor's fence. The driver then allegedly dumped the car down a dead end street.
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Neighbors said the crash was so lough, they ran out of their homes to see what happened. That's when they found the victim on the ground, lifeless.
"We've located the vehicle, we've identified the driver. We believe the driver and the woman are known to each other," said Lt. Kevin Beyrer.
Detectives have interviewed witnesses along the block and have been asking for any security video. Anyone with knowledge about the crash is asked to contact police.
