An NYPD detective was arrested this morning on charges of leaving the scene of an accident last week in Queens. Detective Michael Fantroy, 42, will be arraigned this afternoon. Prosecutors say he blew through a stop sign at 199th Street and Hollis Avenue on the night of April 15th, around 10 p.m. At the time, 82-year-old Doris Gadpaille happened to be crossing the intersection, right in the path of his black SUV.
Detective Fantroy, a 15 year NYPD veteran, ran over Gadpaille and kept going, prosecutors allege, leaving her bleeding in the street. She sustained serious but non-life threatening injuries; according to the DA's office, the accident fractured her face, bruised her hip, lacerated her temple and lacerated her hand. And it took 20 stitches to close a gash above one of her eyes.
Fantroy was off duty at the time of the accident. Because he allegedly left the scene, we'll probably never know if alcohol played any role in the accident, which could have been a lot worse. Of course, that's why defense lawyers "love it" when drivers leave the scene of an accident. Fantroy, for what it's worth, was featured in a NY Times article in 2002—he'd been a beat cop patrolling the subway system for five years, and predicted he'd resign soon if he didn't get a raise.
