CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. — A 51-year-old woman has died after her car was hit by an alleged drunk driver Monday night in Cheektowaga.
Cheektowaga police said Jennifer Hylkema of Lockport was turning out of a parking lot on Transit Road between Cloverleaf Drive, and Rehm Road when her car was struck on the front driver's side.
Officers responded to the scene around 9 p.m. and Hylkema was transported to ECMC where she was later pronounced dead.
On Tuesday, Cheektowaga Police and the Erie County District Attorney's Office announced that they had charged 24-year-old Alondra Ramirez-Santiago with 2nd-degree vehicular manslaughter, driving while intoxicated, and reckless driving in connection to the crash.
According to Erie County District Attorney John Flynn, witnesses told police they saw Ramirez-Santiago speeding southbound on Transit Road before the crash and that an officer witnessed signs of intoxication.
While police are still waiting on a toxicology report for Ramirez-Santiago, a spokesperson for the department said after conferring with the DA they felt they charged her appropriately.
"In this case right here while yes we are waiting on the results the officer made a determination at the scene that the defendant was driving under the influence and therefore under the common law theory of DWI we can attach that to the vehicular manslaughter charge," said Flynn.
Flynn added that once a toxicology report is returned, the results could reaffirm the officer's determination or alter the case altogether.
Ramirez-Santiago was arrested, arraigned, and remanded to the Erie County Holding Center.
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