Man Admits to Hit-And-Run That Killed Hudson Valley Mother of 3

A local man admitted to fatally hitting a Hudson Valley mother of three with his car and fleeing the scene.

On Tuesday in Orange County Court, 38-year-old Stephen Grundel of Wallkill pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an incident without report.

The plea was in connection with the death of a woman who was walking along the road when she was struck by Grundel's pick-up truck just before midnight, on State Street in the Town of Mount Hope in March.

Grundell confessed he knew he hit someone with his 2000 Silverado pick-up truck and had reason to believe he caused an injury to the person he hit, failed to stop the truck to see who he hit and left the scene without either looking to see who he hit or notifying authorities.

The woman, 34-year-old Keira Babcock of Otisville, a mother of three, was pronounced dead at the scene after being discovered by passing motorists the next morning.

“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. “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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Pursuant to the plea agreement placed on the record at the time Grundel pleaded guilty, the District Attorney will be recommending that he be sentenced to one to three years in state prison.

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