A Bellport woman pleaded guilty in a hit-and-run crash that killed a young East Patchogue volunteer firefighter in June, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney said on Thursday.
Maria Guallpa-Bonilla, 36, of Bellport faces a prison sentence of 2 1/3 to 7 years after pleading guilty in court Wednesday to leaving the scene of an incident without reporting, a Class D felony.
Driving alone with only a learner’s permit in a 2001 Mercury Cougar, Guallpa-Bonilla struck a motorcycle ridden by 22-year-old Christopher Hlavaty in Patchogue and then ran over his body while fleeing the scene of the June 10 wreck, authorities said.
Hlavaty, a volunteer firefighter with the Hagerman Fire Department, had the right of way in the accident, authorities said, noting that Guallpa-Bonilla was traveling eastbound on East Main Street and turning south onto Rider Avenue about 10:47 p.m. when she struck Hlavaty’s 2008 Suzuki motorcycle.
Hlavaty, a 2019 graduate of Sayville High School who played varsity football, later died from the injuries he sustained during the incident. Car parts found at the crash site were quickly matched to a 2001 Mercury Cougar.
Tierney called Guallpa-Bonilla’s actions “callous and unconscionable.” His office recommended a sentence of 2 to 6 years in prison. Under current New York State law, Guallpa-Bonilla faces a maximum sentence of 2 1/3 to 7 years for the charge she pleaded guilty to.
“Ms. Guallpa-Bonilla was more concerned about the consequences that she would face, rather than rendering aid to Christopher Hlavaty,” he said. “Motorcyclists have the right to drive on the streets in Suffolk County without having to worry that they are going to get struck by a vehicle and left to die. We hope this plea will give Mr. Hlavaty’s family and loved ones some small measure of justice.”
Guallpa-Bonilla is scheduled for sentencing on Dec. 4 before Suffolk Supreme Court Justice Timothy P. Mazzei.
Top photo: Christopher Hlavaty (Robertaccio Funeral Home)
