DA Hoovler Announces State Prison Sentence in Fatal Hit and Run Case

Defendant Sentenced to 1 1/3 to 4 Years in State Prison for Leaving the Scene of an Incident Without Reporting in Connection with Motor Vehicle Death of Newburgh Gas Station Employee

Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced that on Thursday, February 8, 2018, Milton Galdamez-Pena, 22, of Newburgh, was sentence by Orange County Court Judge Craig Stephen Brown to one and one-third to four years in state prison, in connection with the June 30, 2017, automobile collision that killed a gas station employee in the City of Newburgh. On November 15, 2017, Galdamez-Pena pleaded guilty to the felony of Leaving the Scene of an Incident Without Reporting. At the time that he pleaded guilty, Galdamez-Pena admitted that at about 4:30 PM on July 30, 2017, he drove a car over the employee who had been working at the Shell gas station located at 405 Broadway, in the City of Newburgh. After the car struck the worker Galdamez-Pena placed the car in reverse, causing the car to once again drive over the employee. Galdamez-Pena admitted that after backing up the car up over the employee, he parked the car, exited his vehicle, looked at the severely injured employee, and drove away without reporting the collision. Galdamez-Pena was arrested by the City of Newburgh Police Department. At the time of sentencing prosecutors recommended that Galdamez-Pena be sentence of two and one-third to seven years in state prison.

District Attorney Hoovler thanked the City of Newburgh Police Department for their investigation and their apprehension of Galdamez-Pena.

The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Maryellen Albanese.

“This defendant’s actions certainly deserved a sentence that included state prison,” said District Attorney Hoovler. “There is no excuse for leaving someone you have seriously injured, except to get that person help, or to report the incident to the proper authorities. This defendant admitted failing to take actions that both the law and common humanity require. I commend the City of Newburgh Police Department for their actions in ensuring that this defendant can be held accountable for his crime.”