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Passenger suffers fatal head wound on Nanuet road

A woman was arraigned Monday in Clarkstown for DWI, but she may face more serious charges linked to a passenger's fatal head wound. Authorities say 34-year-old Svetlana DeVita, of Brooklyn, was driving

News 12 Staff

May 28, 2014, 8:57 PM

Updated 3,945 days ago

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A woman was arraigned Monday in Clarkstown for DWI, but she may face more serious charges linked to a passenger's fatal head wound.
Authorities say 34-year-old Svetlana DeVita, of Brooklyn, was driving from a party in the Russian Orthodox community of Otrata along with three passengers Sunday. Authorities believe everyone in the SUV was intoxicated.
According to DeVita's boyfriend, Bill Flanagan, who was also in the vehicle, 29-year-old Aleksandr Shvartser, of Brooklyn, had his head out of a window when the SUV drove by an object that struck him.
Shvartser bled to death in the backseat of the SUV on Covenant Road in Nanuet before an ambulance arrived to take him to the hospital.
"It appeared to be blunt trauma to the head," said Sgt. Harry Baumann of the Clarkstown Police Department. "We don't know how that was caused at this point. The [medical examiner] is investigating."
Police have not yet confirmed whether the victim had his head out the window, but the the condition of the SUV seemed to support the story.
DeVita was sent to Rockland County Jail on $50,000 bail.
For an interview with authorities about the case, go to channel 612 on your digital iO cable box and select iO Extra.