An 80-year-old Vietnam War veteran died after being struck by a man driving a stolen car in Long Island on Friday, police said.
The victim, Peter Morris, of South Farmingdale, was leaving an event at his granddaughter’s school — Woodward Parkway Elementary — when the deadly collision occurred just before noon, Nassau County cops said Saturday.
His family told News 12 that he’d been there for an event honoring veterans before he was hit by a stolen 2013 Nissan as he was getting into his own parked vehicle.
The impact sent Morris’s SUV flying backwards onto school property, and it left him with serious injuries, police said. He was then rushed to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short time later.
The Nissan’s driver, identified as 24-year-old Randy Colon, of Hicksville, fled the scene of the crash on foot, according to authorities.
Officers eventually located and arrested him on charges including manslaughter, criminal possession of stolen property, grand larceny and leaving the scene of an incident resulting in death. He was slated to be arraigned on Saturday afternoon.
Longtime resident, Tony Ferrara, said he was left shocked by the severity of the deadly collision.
“I’ve been living here for 50 years, and this is the worst accident I’ve ever seen,” he told News 12.
Few other details about the incident were provided, and an investigation into the matter is ongoing.
Morris’ death comes just five months after his wife’s, according to relatives. He’d also been looking forward to an upcoming trip to Disney World, a vacation he planned for his children and grandchildren.
