On July 21, 2021 at 6:24 PM, Tompkins County Sheriff's Deputies responded to the 1400 block of Trumansburg Road in the Town of Ithaca for a report of a car/pedestrian crash.
Upon arrival to the scene, deputies located a 14-year-old female and 13-year-old female that had been struck by a car. Deputies were advised that the vehicle that struck the female victims fled the scene on Trumansburg Road. Deputies located a car grill with a Volvo emblem at the scene. Deputies immediately put information out to surrounding law enforcement agencies that the fleeing vehicle was possibly a Volvo. Both female patients were transported from the scene to Cayuga Medical Center.
At 6:40 PM, the Tompkins County Dispatch Center received a call from a local tow company advising that the tow truck operator just witnessed a grey Volvo with a smashed windshield drive by the Ithaca Police Department. At 6:43 PM, Ithaca Police Officers located the grey Volvo with smashed windshield on Danby Road near the City of Ithaca line.
Deputies responded to Danby Road and interviewed the driver of the Volvo. The driver was identified as Robert J. Defelice, age 37 of Ithaca, NY. Defelice was found to be intoxicated and subsequently arrested.
Shortly after Defelice’s arrest, deputies were informed that the 14 year-old female victim had died from her injuries sustained in the crash. The 13 year-old victim sustained a broken arm and is in stable condition.
Defelice was charged with Driving While Intoxicated, Leaving the scene of a fatal motor vehicle accident and Vehicular Manslaughter in the Second Degree (Class D Felony). Defelice was arraigned and remanded to the Tompkins County Jail with no bail.
The New York State Police, Ithaca Police Department, Ithaca Fire Department and Bangs Ambulance assisted.
