Rachel Lodice Charged with DWI in Fatal Accident and Grand Larceny of Police Cruiser

Rachel Lodice, a 21-year-old woman from Jericho on Long Island, has been arrested and charged with DWI following a fatal car accident that claimed the life of Cynthia Mitchell, aged 64. The incident occurred on Tuesday evening around 6:45 p.m., as Lodice was driving her Kia southbound along Hicksville Road in Massapequa while Mitchell’s Nissan Altima traveled eastward on Sunrise Highway. According to the police department, after striking Mitchell’s car, Lodice allegedly fled the scene by entering a marked town vehicle of an Oyster Bay Public Safety Officer who was providing assistance at that point. She was later apprehended and charged with vehicular manslaughter, leaving the scene of an incident, driving while intoxicated (DWI), and grand larceny for stealing the police cruiser. The passenger in Mitchell’s car sustained non-life-threatening injuries but survived the accident. Lodice is scheduled to be arraigned today following her arrest. Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino acknowledged the bravery of an on-duty officer who witnessed the incident and immediately responded, adding that remote disabling technology was used by his department’s personnel after learning about Lodice entering their patrol vehicle, making it possible for Nassau County Police Department to locate her.