Plea Entered In Tow-Truck Driver Hit-And-Run Death

WHITE PLAINS, NY — The man who was driving a box truck on I-95 when he struck a tow-truck driver admitted his guilt Thursday. Westchester County District Attorney Anthony A. Scarpino, Jr. said Anthony Mangano, 49, of Ozone Park, pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of a personal injury incident resulting in death, a felony, in the hit and run death of tow truck operator Salvatore Brescia, 32, of Connecticut.

Scarpino said, on Dec. 29, 2016, Mangano was driving a box truck for his employer, a Long Island-based auto parts company. He was traveling north on I-95 and had just passed the New Rochelle toll plaza when he struck and killed Brescia who was standing in the right lane next to his tow truck assisting a driver who had broken down on the side of the highway.

Mangano did not stop but instead continued driving. He exited I-95 north and circled back to view the scene. At this juncture, state police and an ambulance crew had responded. Mangano again went through the New Rochelle toll plaza, passing the scene, and proceeded northbound to his supply run stop in Connecticut. At no time did he stop to report his involvement or provide information to police.

Brescia died of his injuries which consisted of blunt impact injury to his head, neck torso and extremities. He was struck by the right side view mirror of the truck driven by the Mangano. The force of the impact broke the mirror in pieces.

An intensive investigation by the State Police consisted of collecting fragments of the plastic from the broken mirror at the scene, which led them to the manufacturer in Ontario, Canada, that made the plastic mirror and local distributors of the mirror and eventually to the Mangano’s employer.

State Police Investigators were then able to identify Mangano as the driver who left the scene on I-95 on the day of the incident.

E-ZPass and cellphone records were also instrumental in this investigation, police said.

Mangano faces two and one third to seven years in state prison when he is sentenced March 8, 2018.

Photo caption: Anthony Mangano. Photo credit: Westchester County District Attorney's Office.