A tragic hit-and-run in the Town of Benton has left a one-year-old child dead and a 26-year-old woman facing felony charges. The incident occurred Thursday evening around 4:30 p.m. on State Route 364, when the child was struck by a westbound vehicle. Authorities say the driver continued without stopping or calling for help.
Deputies identified the driver as Sarah E. Olsen of Penn Yan, charged with leaving the scene of an incident resulting in death and criminally negligent homicide. Olsen was arraigned and released on her own recognizance as the investigation continues. Officials are urging anyone with information to call 315-536-4438.
The area is a high-traffic stretch flanked by farmland, where Mennonite families often travel by foot, bicycle, or horse and buggy. The child’s uncle said the boy wandered off while his father was working, and he appealed to drivers to slow down. Sheriff’s officials echoed the plea for caution on roads frequented by pedestrians.
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