Drunk Driver Kills Mother and Daughter in Brewster

Firefighters and EMS providers cover the front of the damaged truck with a tarpaulin as Coroner Dr. Daniel Stephens (back to camera) pronounces the little girl dead. Photo by Eric Gross Parents are giving their youngsters an extra hug today in the wake of Monday's horrific tragedy in Brewster that claimed the lives of a young woman and her eight year-old daughter.

Lori Donohue, 37, and daughter Kayla were mowed down by a pickup truck driven by a man described by authorities as a Central American illegally in the U.S. who was arrested for DWI.

The crash took place at 6:45pm as the victims were walking from the child's dance class at the Seven Stars School of Performing Arts.

State Police Lt. Dominick Chiumento told a news conference outside Brewster State Police headquarters Tuesday, the "Ford F-350 full sized pickup failed to make a left hand turn onto Routes 6 and 22 from Main Street. The vehicle crossed the Borden Bridge and continued through the "T" intersection before striking the pedestrians and coming to rest after slamming into a building."

The suspect is handcuffed at the scene by State Police and Brewster Village Police and led away for arraignment. Photo by Eric Gross Kayla was crushed by the impact and was pronounced dead by Putnam Coroner Dr. Daniel Stephens a short time later. Her mother was pinned beneath the truck and suffered massive trauma. She was extricated by Brewster Fire Department personnel and was rushed to Putnam Hospital Center before being airlifted by STAT-Flight to the Westchester Medical Center where she succumbed to her injuries a short time later.

The driver of the pick-up, Conses Garcia Zacarias, 35, of Brewster, was not only charged with drunken driving but with one count of vehicular manslaughter, a Class C felony. He was arraigned by Southeast Town Judge Gregory Folchetti and was remanded to the Putnam Correctional Facility in lieu of $150,000 bail.

District Attorney Adam Levy said the crime carried a maximum period of incarceration of from 7 to 15 years in state prison if found guilty. Speaking from Albany, where he was giving a series of lectures to young district attorneys about prosecuting DWI cases, Levy told the Courier his office was waiting for forensic evidence from the State Police laboratory: "Once the information is received we will decide whether or not to upgrade the charges against Mr. Zacarias."

Authorities said the suspect was in the U.S. illegally from his native Guatemala. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) filed a detainer against the Brewster man as an illegal immigrant who will eventually be deported.

Kayla was a second grade student at the John F. Kennedy Elementary School in Brewster. The school's crisis team was pressed into action Tuesday to offer counseling for students, faculty and staff needing assistance in the wake of the tragedy.

Superintendent Dr. Jane Sandbank said her district was doing "everything possible to deal with the heartbreak. Our children are the first concern."

Dr. Sandbank said the entire district was praying for the family: "Our hearts, thoughts and prayers are with Robert and his loved ones at this time."

The calamity affected not only the Donohues and the Brewster School District family but professional emergency responders as well. Putnam Deputy Commissioner of Emergency Services Adam Stiebeling summoned the county's Crisis Stress Incidence Management Team to Brewster Monday night when a number of firefighters and emergency responders who assisted the mother and child became overcome. Stiebeling called the reaction "perfectly normal. We are all human beings with feelings, and when a mother and her child perish, the tragedy is overwhelming."

At Tuesday's news briefing Putnam Chief Assistant District Attorney Christopher York echoed the commissioner's belief: "I was at the scene and throughout my career I have handled over 50 homicides. It is always more horrible when a child is involved. I can't stop thinking: This little girl was dancing a few hours ago," as his eyes filled with tears.

Lt. Thomas Jones of the State Police Troop K headquarters in Millbrook also commented on the emotional impact such a tragedy has on emergency forces: "Anytime a child perishes, the situation is compounded."

Assisting at the scene were Putnam Deputy Emergency Coordinators Ron Davies and Ken Clair, Putnam Director of Emergency Management, Tom Lannon, Putnam's Director of Emergency Medical Services, Robert Cuomo, Brewster Fire Chief Shawn Conrad, Assistant Chief Dave O'Hara, members of the Carmel FD under the command of Assistant Chief Patrick O'Brien, Brewster Police, members of the Putnam County Sheriff's Department, Brewster Fire Police, a representative of the Putnam Bureau of Emergency Services, paramedics from the TransCare Ambulance Company, as well as Deputy Commissioner Stiebeling.

Police gave little information about the man accused of causing the deaths of the mother and child other than that he is employed on a farm. The vehicle that struck the victims was registered in Florida. Authorities believe he had been working in the Sunshine State before moving to Putnam County.

School officials requested that members of the media refrain from visiting the school campus. During a trip down Main Street in downtown Brewster, the village seemed quieter than usual on a weekday afternoon. One woman at the railroad station who identified herself as Susan called the village's sudden notoriety, a "nightmare. I can't imagine one's family destroyed in a split second all because a man decided to drink."

A funeral service is planned for Saturday at 11am at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Southeast. The family will receive condolences at the Beecher Funeral Home in Brewster Thursday from 2-4pm and 7-9pm and on Friday from 2-4pm and 7-9pm.