No Charges To Be Filed In Death Of Newburgh EMT: District Attorney

NEWBURGH, NY — No charges will be brought against the driver who struck and killed an emergency medical technician in Newburgh Dec. 16.

Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler announced Wednesday that his office completed its investigation into the death of Newburgh paramedic Lisa Sillins and determined that “it was a tragic accident and not a crime.”

Sillins, wearing dark-colored clothing, was walking across Route 9W near the intersection at North Street in the city of Newburgh when a van struck her.

Hoovler said the driver of the van, Pablo Colector, had not consumed any alcohol or any legal or illegal drugs that would have affected his ability to drive.

Colector immediately stopped after the collision, cooperated with law enforcement officers and consented to have a sample of his blood taken to be analyzed.

Traffic tickets which were originally issued have been dismissed, the district attorney’s office said.

Hoovler said this was a tragic accident which claimed the life of someone who had devoted herself to helping others.

“It is clear from the toxicology report and the digital evidence that no charges should be brought against the driver,” he said. “No alcohol, illicit drugs or prescription medication were found in the blood of the driver, and the digital recording shows no traffic infractions.”

As a district attorney, “it is my duty not just to prosecute the guilty, but to protect the innocent,” Hoovler said.

Digital recordings of the accident, which show the collision from various angles, found no indication that Colector was driving faster than the speed limit, nor was he driving faster than other traffic.

The recordings, the district attorney said, also show that the weather conditions were dark and raining and that Colector maintained traveling in his lane prior to the collision.