Two Kingston residents have been arrested in connection with an August hit-and-run crash that left a pedestrian in a coma, following a two-month investigation by city police. Justin A. Greico, 35, and Katie M. Potter, listed as 38 years old according to Newport Dispatch, now face a lengthy roster of charges tied to the crash at Broadway and Liberty Street.
According to Newport Dispatch, both Greico and Potter live in Kingston and were arrested on charges stemming from the August 1 incident. Police said the two were taken into custody with a county court warrant following the investigation, which News10 reported lasted two months. Per the station, “Two people have been arrested following a two-month long investigation.”
The crash happened around 11:30 p.m. on Aug. 1 at the intersection of Broadway and Liberty Street, when police responded to a report of a pedestrian struck by a vehicle. The station's report states the vehicle that hit the pedestrian fled the scene, prompting Kingston police to launch an investigation that stretched across the following weeks.
Victim Remains Hospitalized in Coma
The pedestrian suffered serious physical injuries and was airlifted to Mid-Hudson Regional Hospital. The victim was later transferred to a long-term intensive care unit, where, per the same account, he remains in a coma. As of Aug. 7, nearly a week after the crash, the victim remained hospitalized in critical condition and no arrest had yet been made, according to the Daily Freeman.
Greico faces the most extensive charges of the two, including second-degree assault, second-degree vehicular assault, operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, tampering with physical evidence, failing to report a personal injury accident, reckless driving and aggravated unlicensed operation. Potter was charged with tampering with physical evidence, first-degree falsifying business records and fifth-degree insurance fraud. News10 additionally reported that both defendants faced charges of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, failing to report a personal injury accident or leaving the scene, and first-degree falsifying business records.
Multiple Agencies Joined the Investigation
The Kingston Police Department was assisted in the case by the Ulster County Sheriff's Office, the Ulster County Crash Reconstruction Team and the District Attorney's Office Investigations Unit, the station noted. Both Greico and Potter were processed and transported to Ulster County Jail to await arraignment in Ulster County Court Thursday morning.
The arrests come as Kingston officials have been pressing forward on pedestrian safety measures elsewhere in the city. Just days after the Broadway crash, lawmakers passed a resolution by a 7-0 vote that will set aside revenue from the city's automatic school speed-zone cameras for quick-build traffic-calming interventions, according to the Daily Freeman.
