Thursday was an emotional day in court for the family and friends of a man killed in a hit-and-run. Prosecutors identified the victim as Kevin Lawry, 38. Veronica Marmol of Queens is accused of killing him. The 39-year-old is charged with leaving the scene of a fatal incident.
“To hit someone and then drive away is insane,” said Judy Poma, of Bethpage. According to prosecutors, Lawry was walking with a friend on Old Country Road in Plainview around 6 p.m. when he was hit and thrown onto the hood of a car. Prosecutors claim Marmol did not stop.
According to police, Lawry died at the scene, while Marmol was discovered two miles away. “People drive like crazy nowadays, so I believe that’s what it is. They’re not paying attention on the road, so stuff like that will happen.
“I’m sure it wasn’t intentional, but it’s terrible that they left the scene of the accident,” Bethpage resident Bill Andrews stated. The prosecution claimed in court that Marmol admitted to police that she was involved in a crash and fled because she was scared.
Her defense attorney stated in court that this was an unfortunate accident, and that the owner of the vehicle was the one who called police. According to prosecutors, Marmol has nine prior driving convictions, including operating without a license and aggravated operation of a motor vehicle.
“It’s a busy road, and I’m sure my mother would not want me to cross it,” said Adina Neman of Old Westbury. No one from either party would speak after the court hearing, but a family friend of the victim told News12 earlier in the day that Kevin always helped others and had recently obtained his commercial driver’s license to better himself.
The judge set Marmol’s bail at $75,000 cash or $150,000 bond. The district attorney’s office says she is still in custody. ”