Friend of woman killed in Shirley gas pump crash speaks out

SHIRLEY, Long Island (WABC) -- The passenger who was in the car of a woman killed while pumping gas on Long Island is speaking out about the tragic incident.

Her friend says it was a last minute decision that brought them to that gas station in Shirley.

Police say the driver of the other car was high on drugs when she smashed into the pump.

"She's like, 'Oh, I forgot to get gas,'" said Melissa Delgaudio, the victim's friend.

Melissa Delgaudio is devastated.

In surveillance video, her friend is pumping gas when suddenly a car plows into the pumps.

62-year-old Rosalie Koenig suffered massive internal injuries and later died. Delgaudio was a passenger in her car.

"I just heard boom! And she screamed, and I saw her face, and she went down. My first thought was that she was crushed to death," Delgaudio said. "She was going in and out of consciousness it seemed. I keep replaying it, seeing her face in my head, the last time I saw her, her facial expression when she got hit, you know, in shock and screamed, and I keep thinking about it, I horrible about it."

She feels horrible about it because they intended to stop at a different service station, long before they got to the Long Island Expressway.

"She wanted to go to a service station before we got there, and she kept asking me to remind her to get gas, before we, she kept on telling me to remind her to get gas before we got near the LIE and I didn't," Delgaudio said.

The driver was not seriously injured and was identified as 53-year-old Renee McKinney.

She was arrested for driving under the influence of drugs, specifically heroin.

The charges may be upgraded.

Ms. Koenig was a devoted member of the Jehovah's Witnesses.

Delgaudio says they studied the Bible together, and became best friends.

"She was always there for me if I needed her, she was like a mother to me, so I kind of feel like I lost a mother," Delgaudio said.