Driver Arrested In Hit-And-Run That Killed LI College Student

LEVITTOWN, NY – Nassau Police say they have made an arrest in the hit-and-run death of 18-year-old Taranjit Parmar in Levittown last month.

Daniel Coppolo, of Deer Park, is charged with second degree manslaughter, leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death, tampering with physical evidence and second degree reckless endangerment. The 31-year-old will be arraigned Sunday at First District Court in Hempstead.

Just before 5 p.m. on Nov. 9, Coppolo and Parmar, an honors student at Adelphi University, were involved in a minor traffic accident on Hempstead Turnpike. The two pulled over in front of the Ultra gas station at the corner of Gardiners Avenue. According to Det. Vincent Garcia, security video from the gas station shows Parmar getting out of her 2018 Jeep and approaching Coppolo, who was in a red pickup truck. Coppolo then took off, striking Parmar, and heading east on Hempstead Turnpike, police said.

Parmar, who reportedly hoped to open her own dental practice one day, suffered trauma to her head and chest. The Levittown teen was taken to Nassau University Medical Center where she was later pronounced dead.

In a statement released Saturday and reported by CBS New York, Parmar's family said: “In the holiday season, the best gift is a hug and holding your loved ones tight. We lost that moment. Please cherish it.”