Fifty-one-year-old Jonathan Shaver’s charges have been upgraded for the fatal hit-and-run that took place in Shirley in late January. At a recent hearing on Feb. 13, held at the Arthur M. Cromarty Criminal Court Complex in Riverhead, the charges now include Leaving the Scene of an Accident Without Reporting a Death.
On the night of Jan. 29,Edgar and Omar Mejiaof Mastic Beach were fixing a flat tire together on the shoulder of the William Floyd Parkway in Shirley when someone driving a dark-colored sedan hit both of them and then fled. Edgar Mejia, 31, was pronounced dead at the scene. His brother Omar, age 29, was rushed to Stony Brook University Hospital with serious injuries and remains in critical condition, suffering from traumatic brain injury.
The next evening, Suffolk County Police arrested Shaver, a resident of Rocky Point, in connection with the crime following an investigation. The 2012 black Honda Accord he was allegedly driving at the time of the incident has been recovered and impounded, and he was taken into custody, charged with Leaving the Scene of an Accident Resulting in Fatality and Leaving the Scene of an Accident Resulting in Serious Injury.
Edgar Mejia was a senior arborist who had worked withJackson Dodds & Company, Inc.in Southampton for 10 years. He had recently adopted a dog and was planning his upcoming wedding.
“The defendant allegedly struck two men who were simply trying to fix a tire on the shoulder of the parkway and fled the scene without stopping to render aid. One victim has died, and the other is fighting for his life,” said District Attorney Raymond Tierney. “We owe it to them and their families to pursue justice, and this indictment is an important step in that direction.”
The upgraded charges are Class D Felonies, which can carry up to seven years in prison.
Jackson Dodds & Co. has created aGoFundMepage to help support the Mejia family in their time of need.
Editor-in-Chief for Fire Island News and Great South Bay News for Schneps Media.
Source: Shirley – Fire Island News & Great South Bay News
