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Nov. 19, 2015 Staff Report
The hit-and-run driver who fatally struck a woman near Astoria Park this summer has been sentenced to up to four years in State prison, according to the Queens District Attorney.
Nicholas Colleran, 25, pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide and failure to yield, after running a stop sign in June and fatally striking Betty DiBiasio, 21, at Ditmars Boulevard and 19th Street.
He was sentenced on Thursday to the maximum term, one and one-third years to four years in prison, according to Queens District Attorney Richard Brown.
“This case is yet another example of how deadly motor vehicles can be and the consequences of ignoring traffic regulations,” Brown said. “Driving is a privilege, not a right, and extreme caution should be exercised at all times in order to prevent lives from being senselessly destroyed.”
Colleran surrendered himself to the 114 Precinct on June 28 and admitted to having panicked after hitting DiBiasio and fleeing the scene, as well as having consumed two beers prior to driving. He was unable to produce a valid license for authorities.
