Police ID Woman Fatally Struck by Vehicle in Deer Park

Update 5 p.m. Monday: Jalpa Patel, 48, of Stratford Avenue in Dix Hills, has been identified as the pedestrian who was struck and killed, police say.

Original story:

A Deer Park woman who fatally struck a pedestrian with her Jeep in Deer Park Saturday night fled the scene, but was arrested a short time later, police said.

Irene Calderaro, 57, is charged with leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death.

According to police, an unidentified woman was crossing Deer Park Avenue, north of Lake Avenue, at about 8:30 p.m. when she was struck by a blue Jeep Liberty that was traveling north on Deer Park Avenue.

Police said the driver of the Jeep initially stopped but fled the scene prior to the arrival of police. Witnesses provided the responding officers with a description of the vehicle.

Police officer Kenneth Michaels of the Suffolk County Police Canine Section was on Deer Park Avenue, south of the Long Island Expressway, when he observed a vehicle that fit the description traveling northbound on Deer Park Avenue, police said.

Michaels placed the driver of the Jeep, Calderaro, of Lindquist Lane, under arrest, police said.

Calderaro was being held at the First Precinct and is scheduled to be arraigned Sunday at First District Court in Central Islip.

The Jeep was impounded for a safety check and the investigation is continuing. Detectives are asking anyone who may have witnessed this crash or who can assist in identifying the female victim to call the Vehicular Crime Unit at 631-852-6555 or call anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS.

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