Ex-cop sentenced in fatal Levittown hit-and-run

A retired NYPD officer from Syosset has been sentenced to 1 1/3 to 4 years in prison for a hit-and-run crash that killed a 13-year-old girl with special needs. Michael Elardo, 48, was sentenced for

News 12 Staff

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Oct 14, 2014, 11:57 PM

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Updated 3,859 days ago

A retired NYPD officer from Syosset has been sentenced to 1 1/3 to 4 years in prison for a hit-and-run crash that killed a 13-year-old girl with special needs.

Michael Elardo, 48, was sentenced for hitting Bryanna Soplin in Levittown in June. The 13-year-old girl had left her home in the middle of the night, apparently trying to get to her grandparents.

Elardo has admitted that he hit Soplin and left her lying on Hempstead Turnpike. He apologized in court to the victim's family before his sentencing.

"What I did was wrong. I accept full responsibility for my actions," said Elardo, adding that he hopes Bryanna's family can someday find closure.

"He can apologize a hundred thousand times...it's not going to cover up for what he did," said Jennifer Curuchaga, Bryanna's mother.

Prosecutors had previously said they had credible evidence that Elardo was drinking that night, but he was only charged with leaving the scene of a fatal accident.