DA: Hudson Valley Woman Kills Grandfather With Car, Injures 2

A Hudson Valley woman is accused of hitting multiple people with her car, including a beloved grandfather who died.

On Thursday in Manhattan Supreme Court, Jessenia Fajardo, 38, of Walden was indicted for manslaughter and more for allegedly hitting three people, on two separate occasions, with her car in New York City.

In late-July, a 2011 Acura RDX driven by Fajardo ran through a red light and drove into two people who stepped into the crosswalk at W. 98 Street and West End Avenue on the Upper West Side in New York City, officials say.

A man and woman stepped into the crosswalk and then were hit by the Acura, sending both 25-feet from where they were hit. One of the victims, Alfred Pocari, 64, died from his injuries a few days later. Pocari was walking to work as a doorman when he was hit. He was a grandfather to triplets.

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In May, Fajardo is accused of driving through a stop sign near Desbrosses and Washington streets and driving over a person's foot while the person was in the crosswalk.

Fajardo was charged with manslaughter, assault, leaving the scene of an incident with personal injury and failure to show documents and not adhering to the right of way of pedestrians, causing physical injury.

“As alleged in this indictment, this defendant’s driving record demonstrates a history of disregard for our laws and the safety of her fellow New Yorkers. In the space of just three months, her reckless conduct included striking three pedestrians, endangering countless others, and causing the death of a beloved grandfather of three. My office will continue to advocate for legislation that enhances criminal accountability for vehicular violence and keeps reckless drivers off the road," Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr said.

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