A former NYPD officer has been charged in connection with the hit-and-run that killed a girl with Down syndrome on Long Island early Sunday, police say.
Michael Elardo, 48, of Syosset, surrendered to police Monday and was charged Tuesday with leaving the scene of an accident, Nassau County police say.
Elardo, a 13-year veteran of the NYPD, is accused of leaving the scene after fatally hitting Bryanna Soplin with his car as the 13-year-old girl crossed Hempstead Turnpike in Levittown over the weekend.
Soplin was taken to the hospital with head and body trauma and died about four hours after the impact.
Her mother, Jennifer Curuchaga, said she said goodnight to Soplin and went to sleep but that the 13-year-old left home around midnight and started to walk to visit her grandfather.
Curuchaga said Soplin had never wandered off before.
"My daughter was such a happy little girl," she said.
Elardo did not stop because he thought he hit a traffic cone, according to this attorney.
--Michael George contributed to this report
