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Dolores Mancia-Landaverde, of Medford, pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an incident without reporting in Suffolk County Court on Tuesday, Nov. 12, in the death of 44-year-old Hedilberto Nava-Perez, of Medford.
According to investigators, Mancia-Landaverde was driving a BMW sedan southbound on Horseblock Road with two passengers when he turned in front of a tractor-trailer at the intersection of Express Drive North shortly before 2 a.m. Saturday, June 8.
His vehicle went through the intersection and collided with the truck, killing Nava-Perez, who was sitting in the backseat. A second passenger in the front seat suffered femur, spinal, and facial fractures and was airlifted to Stony Brook University Hospital.
Following the impact, Mancia-Landaverde immediately got out of the car and took off running as a bystander attempted to help his passengers, prosecutors said. The driver of the tractor-trailer was not injured.
Mancia-Landaverde’s driver’s license was suspended at the time of the crash.
“Thus, this tragedy could have been avoided,” said Suffolk County DA Raymond Tierney. “Instead, this defendant chose to endanger Suffolk County residents through his egregious conduct and, in the process, caused the death of Hedilberto Nava-Perez, an innocent passenger in the defendant’s car.”
Mancia-Landaverde faces two to six years in prison when he’s sentenced.
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