Mother charged in New Paltz crash that fatally injures infant

NEW PALTZ, N.Y. (NEWS10)-- A Poughkeepsie woman was arrested Friday on charges stemming from a car accident in October 2024 that fatally injured her 4-month-old daughter and seriously injured another passenger, New Paltz Police said. According to the department, Jaimie Rivera, 26, faces multiple charges including second-degree vehicular manslaughter. On October 28, 2024, police officers responded to Libertyville Road for reports of an accident resulting in serious physical injury. When officers arrived on scene, they discovered a car had struck a tree head on. According to police, a preliminary investigation determined a 2007 Saturn was traveling northbound around 10:12 a.m. when the 26-year-old female driver, later identified as Rivera, passed another vehicle in a no passing zone. When returning into the northbound lane, the driver left the roadway and struck a tree head on. The infant sustained life-threatening injuries and was air lifted to Mid-Hudson Regional Hospital. She was then transported to Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, where she later died of her injuries. Both Rivera and a 26-year-old male passenger, suffered serious injuries and were transported to Vassar Hospital. According to police, the case was presented to the Ulster County Grand Jury after a reported lengthy investigation. On April 25, Rivera was arrested in Dutchess County and transported to the New Paltz Police Department for processing. Rivera was remanded to the Ulster County Jail pending an arraignment in Ulster County Court.