Fatal Hit and Run on Rt 303 Leaves One Dead, Driver Arrested

On Friday, July 14, 2023 at approximately 3:50am, the Clarkstown Police Department responded to the area of 166 Rt 303 in West Nyack for reports of a person laying on the roadway.

The first arriving officer observed an adult male laying in the right lane of southbound Rt. 303, in the vicinity of a heavily damaged electric scooter. The victim, Mr. Dariel Rivera, 18 year old male from Central Nyack, had sustained severe trauma and was subsequently pronounced deceased at the scene by medical personnel. A witness who stayed at the scene recalled seeing a white SUV in front of his vehicle, traveling southbound on Rt. 303 in the right hand lane. The SUV was described to act in a way that appeared to have hit something in the roadway and continued in a southerly direction. The witness pulled his vehicle over and approached the scene observing the victim in the roadway and called 911. The Clarkstown Police Department Accident Investigation Team responded to the scene and performed their investigation, which caused that portion of Rt 303 to be closed for several hours. As the investigation was still ongoing, an adult male came to Clarkstwon Police Headquarters to report that he had struck someone earlier on Rt. 303.

At approximately 5:45 am on July 14, 2023, the driver of the White Honda Pilot that struck the victim, turned himself in at Clarkstown Police HQ. The suspect is identified as, Mr. Patrick J. Sharkey III, 35 years old, of Garnerville, NY. Mr. Sharkey has been charged with the following offenses, operator leaving the scene of an accident – injury resulting in death (D felony), aggravated unlicensed operation – permanent revocation (E felony) and circumvent interlock device (A misdemeanor). Mr. Sharkey was arraigned this evening at Clarkstown Justice Court where bail was set at $50,000.00. It should be noted that a criminal complaint is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.