ALBANY – The State Senate passed “Teresita’s Law,” which elevates the charge of causing the death of a person while negligently driving a vehicle with a suspended, revoked or withdrawn license from a misdemeanor to a felony.
The legislation was introduced by Senator John Bonacic (R, Mt. Hope) and named for Teresita “Grace” Solano, who was killed in Middletown in 2012 when she was hit by a negligent driver as she crossed a street. The driver’s license had been suspended several times, but under current law he could only be charged with a misdemeanor, which carries a maximum jail sentence of 30 days and a $500 fine.
“When a driver with a suspended license kills another person, he or she must be held accountable for their actions,” Bonacic said on Monday. “Those who drive without valid licenses should not be on the road, and when they kill an innocent person they cannot walk away with only a slap on the wrist.”
