Woman Run Over In Jackson Heights, Driver Arrested: NYPD

JACKSON HEIGHTS, NY — An unlicensed Long Island driver was arrested for crushing a pedestrian with her SUV in Jackson Heights on New Year's Eve, police said. Vitaliana Garcia Gavilan slammed into the woman as she was crossing 81st Street near 37th Avenue around 12:45 p.m. Monday, the NYPD said.

Gavilan, of Great Neck, Long Island, ran over the unidentified victim with the front right tire of her 2008 Chevy Equinox, then backed up and rolled over her again, according to police.

The woman was taken to Elmhurst Hospital Center, where she was pronounced dead, police said.

Gavilan, 43, stayed on the scene and was taken into police custody, the NYPD said. She has been charged with four crimes including failure to yield and aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, which indicates her license had been suspended or revoked.

The fatal crash came at the end of a year with a record-low number of traffic fatalities across the city despite an increase in pedestrian deaths. Queens was the only borough to see traffic fatalities rise this year as of Dec. 27, according to city statistics.

(Lead image: Photo by Renee Schiavone/Patch)