A Providence woman who struck and killed a Marine Corps veteran on New Year's Eve 2023, then drove away and left him in the street, will spend five years in prison under a plea deal finalized this week. Ariel Acosta was sentenced to 15 years with 10 years suspended for the crash that killed 57-year-old Edwin “Eddie” English, who died nine days after being hit while walking near North Main Street and Rochambeau Avenue on Providence's East Side.
According to WJAR, police say English was walking to a family New Year's Eve party when Acosta struck him with an SUV and left the scene without stopping. Acosta accepted a plea deal and was taken away in handcuffs following the sentencing, and the station reports her mother declined to comment afterward. As part of the sentence, Acosta was also ordered to pay a $5,000 fine and will have her driver's license suspended for three years.
The crash happened at approximately 7:20 p.m. on December 31, 2023, according to the Fall River Reporter, which reported that English was rushed to Rhode Island Hospital and died of his injuries on January 9, 2024. Providence police impounded a green 2005 Toyota Highlander during the investigation before arresting Acosta, who was 31 years old at the time of her initial court appearance, the outlet reported. She was later released on $15,000 surety bail while awaiting trial, a period that stretched more than two years before she accepted the plea agreement, per the same outlet.
Brother Says Family Was Forced to Make an Impossible Choice
Edwin English's younger brother, Michael English, said the sentence cannot undo what happened. According to the station's report, Michael English said his family was “violated” not only by Edwin being hit, but by having to decide when he should go to heaven. He said plainly that Acosta hit his brother and left the scene of the crime.
Under Rhode Island General Laws § 31-26-1, knowingly failing to stop at an accident resulting in death is a felony carrying a mandatory statutory sentence of 2 to 15 years in prison, fines between $5,000 and $10,000, and a three-year license revocation, according to FindLaw. Acosta's five-year prison term and $5,000 fine fall within that statutory range.
A Deadly Pattern Along North Main Street
English's death marked the third fatal hit-and-run along the North Main Street corridor within a few years, according to WPRI 12. WPRI 12 also reported four fatalities and a rally calling for rapid safety improvements. Just two months before English was killed, an 85-year-old woman died in an October 2023 hit-and-run on the same street; the driver in that case was sentenced in Rhode Island Superior Court in December 2025 to three years in prison, per a report from WJAR.
State data compiled by AAA Northeast shows nearly 7% of all motor vehicle fatalities in Rhode Island between 2017 and 2023 were caused by hit-and-run crashes, as reported by GoLocalProv. GoLocalProv reported research showing elevated risk to pedestrians and cyclists and noted that such victims are frequently struck in darkness.
City Responds With Vision Zero Pledge and Lighting Repairs
In early 2024, the Providence City Council unanimously passed a Vision Zero resolution aimed at eliminating traffic deaths by 2030. The council followed that with a $500,000 federal funding allocation in early 2025 for lighting work along North Main Street.
The council also created a North Main Street Task Force to evaluate street design and lighting. The Providence Streets Coalition recommended immediately repairing malfunctioning lights. The criminal case against Acosta has now concluded, but neighborhood advocates and community members remain focused on whether the infrastructure changes will be enough to prevent further deaths on the same stretch of road.
