Woman Confesses She Was High When Killing Bicyclist in Miller Place

Over a year after hitting and killing a bicyclist on 25A in Miller Place, a Lake Grove woman pleaded guilty Monday to second-degree manslaughter, among other charges, and admitted she was high during the incident.

Nicole Shellard, 33, struck and killed Kathryn Underdown, 45, of Lake Grove in May of 2010. Suffolk County Court Judge Martin Efman was originally going to sentence Shellard to 2 to 6 years, but he lowered it to 1 1/2 to 4 1/2 years in prison after the plea and after Shellard completed a nine-month inpatient rehabilitation program.

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Underdown's family was upset Shellard got anything less than the maximum of 5 to 15 years.

"I know she has no remorse," said Underdown's husband, Michael Slovitsky. "It's a deal, just a deal. ... It's just horrible."

During questioning by Assistant District Attorney Ray Varuolo, Shellard said she had taken a variety of drugs, including soma, suboxone and Xanax, before driving erratically on Route 25A. She bit her finger as she admitted she left the scene without stopping after she hit Underdown.