"A drunken driver struck and killed an e-bike rider in Melville early Saturday morning, according to the Suffolk County Police Department. Jennifer Kirkpatrick, 24, was driving south on Bagatelle Road in a 2018 Subaru Forester just after 1 a.m. when she attempted to make a left turn onto eastbound Express Drive South and collided with Joseph Melendez, 28, of Wyandanch, who was riding a "Razor fly-wing e-bike" northbound, according to police."
"Melendez was pronounced dead at Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center in West Islip. He leaves behind a 7-year-old son, Giovanni, and a large number of friends, according to his roommate and longtime friend Erik Mejia, who said Melendez was "like a brother to me." "He was a great guy. He did everything and anything he could for anybody," Mejia told Newsday. "He just had a beautiful soul like that.""
"Kirkpatrick was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated. Additional charges could be added, a Suffolk police spokeswoman told Newsday. Kirkpatrick, who was treated for minor injuries at a hospital, was held in police custody overnight. She was due to be arraigned in First District Court in Central Islip on Saturday. The Suffolk Police Department's Major Case Unit asked anyone with information about the crash to call 631-852-6553."
A drunken driver struck and killed an e-bike rider in Melville early Saturday morning. Jennifer Kirkpatrick, 24, collided with Joseph Melendez, 28, while attempting a left turn onto eastbound Express Drive South just after 1 a.m. Melendez, who was riding a Razor fly-wing e-bike northbound, was pronounced dead at Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center in West Islip. He leaves a 7-year-old son, Giovanni, and many friends. Kirkpatrick was treated for minor injuries, held in custody overnight and charged with driving while intoxicated; she was scheduled for arraignment and authorities requested information about the crash.
Read at Newsday
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