Michelle Karp of East Northport charged in August hit-and-run crash that killed 72-year-old pedestrian

An East Northport woman faces charges Wednesday in Suffolk County Court of leaving the scene of an accident that killed a pedestrian earlier this year in Ronkonkoma, police said. Suffolk County police said Michelle Karp, 28, was arrested Wednesday and charged with leaving the scene of an incident resulting in death and tampering with physical evidence. The charges stem from a hit-and-run crash Aug.

7 that killed Lydia Ciminelli, 72, of Lake Ronkonkoma. Police said Ciminelli was crossing Rosedale Avenue, just south of Motor Parkway, when she was struck by "a dark-colored sedan" that fled the scene at about at about 9:30 a.m. Police later determined the vehicle to be a 2006 Nissan Maxima.

Ciminelli was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital, where she was pronounced dead, police said. It was not immediately clear what evidence led Major Case Unit detectives to tie the incident to Karp. Police had asked anyone with information to contact Major Case Unit detectives at 631-852-6553 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS.

It was not known if Karp is represented by counsel.

John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of "Swee'pea," a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels.

Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film "Big Shot."