Records: Driver who fled fatal crash in Coram said he panicked
Police at the crash scene at Middle Country Road and Homestead Drive in Coram on Sunday morning. Credit: James Carbone
A Westhampton Beach man told police he panicked and ran after the SUV he was driving crashed into a pole in Coram, killing one passenger and injuring another, according a criminal complaint.
Cruz Emelio Tum-Tipaz, 25, of Potunk Lane, was arraigned Monday on a charge of leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death and held on a bail of $200,000 bond or $100,000 cash, according to online court records.
Suffolk police said Tum-Tipaz was behind the wheel of a 2005 Nissan Murano about 4 a.m. Sunday and heading east on Middle Country Road when the SUV crashed into a metal pole near Homestead Drive. Juan Morales Cuterez, 28, of Westhampton, a passenger in the Nissan, was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. Another passenger, Eledao Bolaj-Garcia, 53, of Westhampton, was taken to Stony Brook University Medical Center for treatment of serious but not life-threatening injuries.
Tum-Tipaz ran north through a parking lot after the crash, police said.
He was represented by the Legal Aid Society of Suffolk County, which did not immediately return a call Monday night.
Suffolk County major case detectives are investigating the crash. Anyone with information was asked to call the Major Case Unit at 631-852-6555 or Crime Stoppers at 800-220-8477.
With Chau Lam and Ellen Yan
Police at the crash scene at Middle Country Road and Homestead Drive on Sunday morning. Credit: James Carbone
Vera Chinese joined Newsday in 2017 after working as an editor for the East End lifestyle publication northforker and a general assignment reporter for the New York Daily News.
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Newsday Live Music Series: Long Island Idols Newsday Live presents a special evening of music and conversation with local singers who grabbed the national spotlight on shows like "The Voice," "America's Got Talent,""The X-Factor" and "American Idol." Newsday Senior Lifestyle Host Elisa DiStefano leads a discussion and audience Q&A as the singers discuss their TV experiences, careers and perform original songs.
