NEW ROCHELLE, NY — Gillian Getlan, 25, of New Rochelle, is facing a criminal charge of leaving the scene of an accident after she struck and seriously injured a 72-year-old pedestrian in a crosswalk while driving a 2013 Subaru owned by her father.
The incident occurred on October 19th at 5:19 p.m. at a crosswalk on North Avenue between Coligini Avenue and Fifth Avenue, near the Salvation Army store, not far from New Rochelle City Hall.
In a statement issued by the family, the victim was identified as Geraldine Sinceno, 72, also of New Rochelle. She suffered multiple injuries and was transported from the scene to the Trauma Unit at Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx, where she underwent surgery. She has since been transferred to United Hebrew of New Rochelle, where she remains today, more than a month later.
A lawyer for Sinceno has challenged the actions of the New Rochelle Police Department and the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office
“The family believes they have been treated unfairly in this investigation”, said attorney Lauren P. Raysor. “I have called on Miriam Rocah, Westchester County District Attorney, to conduct a full and fair investigation.”
A family spokesperson has raised concerns that Gillian Getlan is getting special treatment because her father, Michael Getlan, the owner of the 2013 Subaru, is an executive with Amusement Consultants Ltd. and New Roc Entertainment L.L.C.
The Sinceno family is hosting a prayer service at the scene of the incident on Saturday, November 20, at 11 am. The prayer service will take place during the New Rochelle Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Getlan did not appear for her desk appearance in New Rochelle City Court on Thursday, according to a family spokesperson. Getlan is scheduled to be arraigned in New Rochelle City Court on December 9th at 10:00 a.m.
Getlan was charged with New York Vehicle and Traffic Law § 600(2) A — failure to show license and insurance.
Leaving the scene of an accident without reporting where someone was injured may be a misdemeanor or felony. If the violation was based solely on failing to show a license and insurance information, the violation would be considered a class B misdemeanor with a sentence of a fine of $250-$500 and up to 90 days in jail. Otherwise, the violation would be a class A misdemeanor and the sentence could be a fine of $500-$1,000 and up to 1 year in jail. If the charge is second offense, then the crime would be considered a class E felony with a sentence of up to 4 years in prison and a fine of $1,000-$2,500; if the injured person dies as a result of the accident the charge would be a class D felony, punishable up to 7 years in prison and a fine of $2,000-$5,000.
According to New Rochelle police records, on October 19 at 5:19 p.m., New Rochelle Police, New Rochelle Fire Department and EMS responded to the intersection of North Avenue and Fifth Avenue on a report of a hit-and-run accident. Upon arrival, Geraldine Sinceno was observed sitting on the pavement with numerous people around her. Multiple witnesses told police that a vehicle struck Sinceno and subsequently left the scene without stopping. A witness provided police with a license plate number of the vehicle which fled the scene. A DMV check returned the vehicle to be a valid to a 2013 Subaru. Citizens on scene advised police that the vehicle was being operated by a female.
Sinceno told police she was crossing North Avenue eastbound towards Fifth Avenue when she was struck by a vehicle. She stated that she was in the crosswalk and had the cross signal when she was struck. Sinceno, who complained of left leg pain, was evaluated by EMS and transported to Jacobi Medical Center for further treatment.
Police located the 2013 Subaru with Getlan behind the wheel in front of 33 Lincoln Street, 4 blocks away, about a 2-5 minute drive. The City Hall/Hamilton Avenue parking lot is less than 100 yards from the scene of the accident.
Police spoke with Getlan, who stated that she was operating the vehicle and got into an accident. She stated that she was making a left turn from Fifth Avenue on to North Avenue and that the sun was in her eyes making it hard to see. She stated that as she was making the turn she felt her vehicle hit something but did not know what it was. She stated that she then continued to drive southbound on North Avenue. In the rearview mirror, she saw that she had hit a person. She stated that she got nervous and did not know where to pull over, so she continued to drive.
Getlan was issued a summons for VTL § 600(2), returnable on November 18.
Records from the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, show that Sunset was at 6:09 p.m. on October 19, 2021. Data tables from the Astronomical Applications Department of the U.S. Naval Observatory show that at 5:19 p.m. on October 19, in the New York City area, the sun was at an elevation of 24.88 degrees and an azimuth of 230.01 degrees. Geraldine Sinceno, who is less than 6 feet tall, was at street level.
Astronomical data, trigonometry, and buildings across the street raise questions whether the sun could be in the eyes of a driver, approaching the intersection driving westbound from Fifth Avenue turning left onto North Avenue southbound on October 19, 2021, at 5:19 p.m.
Awful and sad that anyone would do that and leave. I get the anger if it’s true that she’s receiving special treatment because of her father. I don’t get the racial component being brought into this comment section. Was the victim a black woman? It doesn’t matter to me. The driver should be treated like everyone else. This brings me back to a comment section on the story Mr. Cox posted a few weeks ago titled Two New Rochelle Men Indicted for Murder in Mount Vernon. Some commented on the lack of outrage when a young black woman was killed. There were ZERO comments by anyone we see on this story. As far as the comments claiming a black woman would be followed and gunned down; one look at the various videos of black men burglarizing stores with no consequences is telling. Do we want this kind of “equity?” If you keep your eyes open, really open, you’d see that on the same day Rittenhouse was acquitted, a black man in Florida named Andrew Coffee IV was acquitted of murder charges. Don’t let the media whip you into a frenzy. How about we just look at this as a really awful incident that happened in New Rochelle?
We need JUSTICE……
She should be locked up. The police should be investigated for malfeasance. They did not give her a breathalyzer or arrest her for leaving the scene. She left our poor neighbor in the street like she did not matter. Despicable, depraved behavior of a privileged girl. If this had been a black person, they would have been handcuffed and thrown in jail. Shame on New Rochelle PD.
Yes, very possible, sadly. I am so tired of this, over and over again.
Yes. I am so tired of this unequal policing and justice.
Ms. Getlan was an entitled little bully at day camp and her father was a ——-. The Getlan’s will buy their way out of this.
EDITOR’S NOTE: if you want to make specific allegations you need to use your own name and be prepared to document the allegations.
She’s a whole fraud. If it were any black citizen they would have been followed and potentially gunned down for fleeing the scene with no remorse and reward to the “cops”