US man faces 26-years' jail for running over Indian-origin teen
An American man has been indicted for killing an 18-year-old Indian-origin student in November last year when he dragged her with his truck and ran over her while fleeing the scene of a minor crash. Daniel Coppolo of Deer Park, New York has been arraigned on grand jury indictment charges for the death of Taranjit Parmar in Levittown in Nassau County's Hempstead town.
He might be imprisoned for up to 26 years
Coppolo was arraigned yesterday before Acting Supreme Court Justice Terence Murphy on charges including of manslaughter, assault, tampering with physical evidence and reckless driving. His bail was continued at $1 million bond or $600,000 cash and he is due back in court on May 17. If convicted, he faces up to a maximum of 26 years in prison.
The incident happened on November 9 last year
The County's District Attorney Madeline Singas said that on November 9 last year, Parmar's car was involved in a minor collision with Coppolo's pick-up truck in Levittown. After the incident, the two pulled both vehicles into the parking lot near a gas station.
The man fled from the spot after the incident
Parmar exited her vehicle and called her mother. While on the phone with her mother, Parmar yelled for Coppolo to stop and grabbed his pick-up truck as he started to move. Coppolo allegedly drove through the parking lot, dragging the victim and ultimately ran her over before fleeing the scene by driving the wrong way on the highway.
Parmar was transported to the hospital in cardiac arrest
Parmar was transported to the hospital after a cardiac arrest and was pronounced dead that night. Parmar was a beautiful, successful student when her life was taken from her after a minor fender bender, Singas said.
Coppolo had been arrested days after the incident
Singas said, "It's unthinkable that in addition to allegedly driving away with the young woman in the open window and then running her over, the driver fled the scene and left Taranjit to die." Members of the Nassau County Police Department located Coppolo's truck in a parking lot in Westbury, where Coppolo had been arrested for another matter days after the November 9 incident.
