ATLANTIC BEACH, NY — A 67-year-old woman was indicted Wednesday for her role in a fatal hit-and-run accident that took the life of a cyclist in Atlantic Beach, officials said.
Prosecutors announced Wednesday that Long Beach resident Erin Henry had been arraigned and pleaded not guilty to a charge of leaving the scene of an incident without reporting resulting in death, a Class-D felony that could carry a prison sentence of up to seven years in prison. Henry’s attorney, Steven Epstein, could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
According to the prosecution, the accident in question took place at about 7:45 a.m. on March 24, 2026. Henry was driving to her home to pick up a couple of things she had forgotten on the way to her job as a school nurse when her Honda HRV struck 59-year-old Tony Thomas as he rode his bicycle along Beech Street, prosecutors said.
After the collision, Henry kept driving while a bystander who witnessed the accident called 911, prosecutors said. Henry was arrested a short time later, while Thomas was pronounced dead at the scene, prosecutors said.
“This defendant allegedly struck an innocent man riding his bike, continued driving, and left him to die. Bystanders called emergency services, but tragically, it was too late for the victim, who suffered serious injuries and died at the scene,” Donnelly said. “Quick thinking witnesses recorded Henry’s license plate, and she was located by police driving to work as if nothing had happened, callously blaming a fictitious boulder for the beloved grandfather’s death when she was pulled over and questioned. My office will fully prosecute this case to ensure justice for Tony and his loved ones.”
Henry is due back in court August 11, prosecutors said.
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