Federal judge killed in hit-and-run incident; police say driver was disoriented, aggressive
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U.S. District Judge Sandra Feuerstein of the Eastern District of New York was struck and killed in Boca Raton, Florida, on Friday when a car drove onto the sidewalk where Feuerstein was walking.
The driver continued on and struck a 6-year-old boy in the crosswalk, seriously injuring him, according to police.
Police have arrested 23-year-old Nastasia Andranie Snape of North Lauderdale, Florida, in the incidents. She is charged with negligent vehicular manslaughter and two counts of hit-and-run, according to Palm Beach County booking records cited by the Washington Post.
The Palm Beach Post, CNN (via @NYCSouthpaw) and Law360 also have coverage.
Feuerstein, 75, served on New York state courts for 16 years before she was nominated to the federal bench in 2003 by former President George W. Bush. She took senior status in 2015.
Feuerstein’s mother was an immigration judge. They were thought to be the first mother and daughter to serve as judges in the United States, according to Law360 and the Palm Beach Post.
Snape was disoriented and aggressive, according to police.
When police found Snape following the second crash, she at first appeared to be unconscious and then began to convulse, according to the police report. When she left the car, she stared into space.
When she was placed in an ambulance, she began to scream and fight with medics, claiming to be the fictional book and movie character Harry Potter, the police report says. At the hospital, Snape at first told police that she remembered being in a crash, but when asked about it, said she was never in a crash.
Police say they found a small container with the label “THC Cannabis” and a synthetic designer drug known as T salts. T salts “are commonly known to cause erratic, excited, delirium-like behavior,” the police report says. Police obtained a warrant to test Snape’s blood.
