Barbara Rizzi, a 70-year-old woman who lived in North Patchogue, Long Island, tragically died when she was hit by a vehicle on Christmas Eve. The senior citizen was on her way to attend a midnight mass at a church close to her home. Samantha Reyes, 20, was driving the vehicle that took Rizzi's life.
The local authorities stated, as reported by New York Daily News, that Rizzi was crossing North Ocean Avenue toward her destination -- the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church -- when she was suddenly hit by a 2016 Nissan sedan. The impact was forceful enough to have resulted in Rizzi's death.
Paramedics arrived at the scene, and Rizzi was rushed to the Brookhaven Memorial Hospital, which is located in East Patchogue. Unfortunately, the doctors were unable to revive the victim. The local authorities attempted to contact Rizzi's daughter-in-law as they tried to move further with the investigation. However, the latter was too devastated to respond, especially since the inquiries were made shortly after she had received the tragic news.
Fortunately, the driver of the Nissan Sedan, Reyes, did not sustain any injuries from the accident. However, in accordance with protocol, the Nissan Sedan that she was driving was impounded so that the authorities can further examine the vehicle. As of now, Reyes is not facing any charges following the incident but reports say that she seemingly became upset when she was approached by people from the media.
Reyes refused to accommodate any inquiries regarding the tragic incident, and she urged the reporters to contact her mother, since she is only 20 years old. However, no one from Reyes' party has responded to any inquiries that have been made so far.
