Suspect sought in deadly in hit-and-run in Suffolk County

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Thursday, March 9, 2023
Suspect sought in deadly in hit-and-run in Suffolk County
Police are looking for the driver behind a deadly hit-and-run incident in Suffolk County, on Jericho Turnpike at Oakwood Road in Huntington Station.

HUNTINGTON STATION, Suffolk County (WABC) -- Police are looking for the driver behind a deadly hit-and-run incident in Suffolk County.

It happened around 4 a.m. Saturday in Huntington Station.

Investigators have released surveillance video of the suspect's SUV. The vehicle is described as a dark-colored Jeep Cherokee.

Officers say the driver struck 49-year-old Bernarda Fernandez as she crossed Jericho Turnpike at Oakwood Road.

She was pronounced dead at Huntington Hospital.

The eldest of Fernandez's three sons is now grappling with anger and grief. He says his mother was his world.

"The person that did this, if, and when they do get caught, we will be going after them very hard," Aonery Sanchez said.

He also explained that his mother's life included mental health struggles they all endured as a family as she lived with bipolar disorder.

"And I was trying to strive and give her a better life but I was robbed of that," Sanchez said.

Fernandez was left on the side of the road. Her family is left to wonder if anyone had stopped might things have changed.

Police say she was alive in the moments after she was struck by the Jeep and called 911.

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward for information that leads to an arrest.

Anyone with information can contact Suffolk County Crime Stoppers to submit an anonymous tip by calling 1-800-220-TIPS, using a mobile app which can be downloaded through the App Store or Google Play by searching P3 Tips, or online at www.P3Tips.com.

All calls, text messages and emails will be kept confidential.

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