FDNY employee charged in Levittown hit and run that killed student
LEVITTOWN, Long Island (WABC) -- Police have made an arrest following a six-week-long search for the driver who killed an 18-year-old college student from Long Island.
Authorities say 31-year-old Daniel Coppolo, of Deer Park, is charged with second-degree manslaughter, leaving the scene of an accident with death, tampering with physical evidence and second-degree reckless endangerment.
Police say he has a prior arrest for DWI and leaving the scene of an accident.
Coppolo has been an EMT with the FDNY for about three years, working at Emergency Medical Dispatch, the department said. He has been suspended without pay.
Eighteen-year-old Taranjit Parmar was killed in November after she got out of her vehicle following a minor collision with a pickup truck.
Acting Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said residents contacted the county's Crime Stoppers unit more than 50 times in recent weeks with leads, some telling police where Coppolo was shopping that evening so investigators might have more evidence placing him at the scene.
"I want to thank the Nassau County Police Department, who worked tirelessly on this investigation to bring it to a point where it is today," the victim's father, Ranjit Parmar, said. "It wouldn't be where it is if it weren't for the hard work by all the detectives that worked on this investigation."
Last month, Coppolo went to jail for a knifepoint robbery at Target in Westbury and wasn't out long before police re-arrested him this weekend.
His truck's flashing taillight add-ons and firefighter decals provided evidence that would link him to the crime, authorities said.
"These are all major identifiers, they almost act like a fingerprint, for a vehicle," Nassau County police Detective Lieutenant Steven Fitzpatrick said.
Bail was set at $1 million at his arraignment, and the case was adjourned until Wednesday.
Parmar was studying to be a dentist and was returning from classes at Adelphi University. She would have turned 19 just a few days later.
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