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Stephen Grundel, 38, of Wallkill, was sentenced in Orange County Court to a term of one to three years in state prison after pleading guilty to leaving the scene of an incident without a report on Tuesday, June 25.
Grundel was driving his 2000 Silverado pick-up truck at approximately 11:15 p.m. on March 30 when he struck Kiera Babcock, 34, who was walking on State Street in the Town of Mount Hope.
Babcock was pronounced dead at the scene after her body was spotted by passing motorists the following morning.
As part of his guilty plea, Grundel said that he knew he struck a pedestrian with his truck and had reason to believe he caused an injury to the person he hit, though he never stopped or alerted police.
“Although not all traffic fatalities are criminal, there was no excuse for not stopping and reporting the incident,” Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler said at the time of the guilty plea.
“Leaving the injured and dying woman in the roadway, in the cold, and in the dark, without alerting the police, or calling for help, is criminal conduct for which this defendant must be held accountable.”
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