Man Driving in ‘Dream State’ Kills Pedestrian and Dog in Hit-and-Run

It was just after p m on a quiet Thursday evening when -year-old Victoria Cooper leashed up her dog for a short walk something she d done countless times before near her Rosendale home in upstate New York But this walk would be her last Personnel say Victoria was struck and killed by a man driving in what he later described as a dream-like state a moment of terrifying clarity mixed with deep fatigue that cost a woman and her dog their lives A Walk That Ended in Tragedy Victoria was walking along Trail a two-lane stretch often used by locals to get from town to town She was with her golden retriever Tucker well-known and loved in the neighborhood At p m police received frantic calls reporting a pedestrian had been hit When urgency crews arrived they determined Victoria unresponsive and Tucker severely injured She was pronounced dead at the scene Tucker survived the initial impact but died from his injuries days later The man who hit them stopped briefly dazed confused and then drove away He later turned himself in The Driver s Story A Dream State The driver a -year-old local man whose name has not been publicly circulated communicated investigators he couldn t remember the crash He described feeling like he was asleep with his eyes open driving on autopilot unaware of his surroundings Police believe he had been awake for an extended period and may have been experiencing something akin to a waking blackout from sleep deprivation He never saw her one officer commented He never saw the dog But the damage was already done What Functionaries Located The man was arrested and charged with vehicular manslaughter and leaving the scene of a fatal accident He is being held without bail as investigators comb through defense footage and witness reports There s also a second driver involved a truck that ran over Victoria s body after the initial impact that police are still trying to identify This was preventable stated a police spokesperson Driving drowsy can be just as dangerous as driving drunk People underestimate the threat Population in Mourning Rosendale is a town that feels more like a neighborhood the kind of place where people still wave at each other from their front porches and know their mail carrier by name Now residents are grieving Victoria was the type of person who made you feel seen stated a friend who left flowers at the scene She inevitably had a smile inevitably questioned about your day and unfailingly perpetually had time for Tucker Over the weekend dozens of people gathered for a candlelight vigil near the spot where she died They held photos of Victoria lit candles for Tucker and shared stories about a life that made a difference one person and one pet at a time A Reminder of the Risks of the Road As the circumstance continues to unfold police are urging drivers to take sleep seriously You can t just push through exhaustion stated the officer handling the circumstance The brain doesn t work that way People think if they stay caffeinated or roll down a window they ll be fine But that s a myth Drowsy driving kills and this is the proof What Happens Next The accused driver is expected to appear in court next week Prosecutors have not disclosed whether additional charges will be filed but they are researching whether the man had any history of healthcare or mental vitality issues that could explain the episode As for the second driver police are still searching They believe that person may not have realized they hit a body but they re urging them to come forward There s a family grieving A area grieving one officer explained Coming forward is the right thing to do