Mother charged in New Paltz crash that killed infant
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NEW PALTZ, N.Y. (NEWS10)-- A Poughkeepsie woman was arrested Friday on charges stemming from a car accident in October 2024 that fatally injured her 4-month-old daughter and seriously injured another passenger, New Paltz Police said. According to the department, Jaimie Rivera, 26, faces multiple charges including second-degree vehicular manslaughter.
On October 28, 2024, police officers responded to Libertyville Road for reports of an accident resulting in serious physical injury. When officers arrived on scene, they discovered a car had struck a tree head on.
According to police, a preliminary investigation determined a 2007 Saturn was traveling northbound around 10:12 a.m. when the 26-year-old female driver, later identified as Rivera, passed another vehicle in a no passing zone. When returning into the northbound lane, the driver left the roadway and struck a tree head on.
The infant sustained life-threatening injuries and was air lifted to Mid-Hudson Regional Hospital. She was then transported to Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, where she later died of her injuries. Both Rivera and a 26-year-old male passenger, suffered serious injuries and were transported to Vassar Hospital.
According to police, the case was presented to the Ulster County Grand Jury after a reported lengthy investigation. On April 25, Rivera was arrested in Dutchess County and transported to the New Paltz Police Department for processing.
She was charged with:
- Vehicular Manslaughter in the second degree, a class D felony
- Criminally Negligent Homicide, a class E felony
- Vehicular Assault in the second degree, a class E felony
- Endangering the Welfare of a Child, a class A misdemeanor
- Assault in the third degree, a class A misdemeanor
- Driving While Ability Impaired by Drugs, a class A misdemeanor
Rivera was remanded to the Ulster County Jail pending an arraignment in Ulster County Court.