Port Richmond, Staten Island, NY (June 21, 2026) – Diana Rolon, a 60-year-old mother and school paraprofessional from Port Richmond, is brain-dead on life support after a speeding driver struck her on Decker Avenue and fled the scene on Father’s Day, according to her family.
Rolon had crossed Decker Avenue on the afternoon of June 21, 2026, to retrieve cash from her car for a yard sale, police say. She was standing in front of a double-parked car, preparing to cross back, when a white BMW traveling at high speed struck her. A nurse who heard the impact ran to her and administered first aid at the scene. Rolon was transported and placed on life support.
Security camera footage from a nearby home captured the white BMW speeding down the block seconds before the collision. The driver did not stop.
Her family told investigators they are confident police will identify the driver. They are also calling for traffic safety improvements on Decker Avenue, a residential street that, according to the family, some drivers treat like a highway. A speed camera is located a few blocks from the scene.
Rolon worked as a school paraprofessional. Her son Michael Haque described the joy she brought to her classroom every day. The family was looking forward to celebrating his upcoming high school graduation when the crash occurred.
A family left waiting at a bedside, making impossible decisions, deserves someone in their corner who knows how to hold a reckless driver accountable.
Hit-and-Run Accidents in Staten Island, New York
When a driver strikes someone and flees, victims and their families face a different set of legal steps than a standard crash. Acting quickly protects the family’s rights:
- Preserve all available evidence now. Intersection and home security camera footage is typically overwritten within days. The white BMW captured on the nearby home’s camera is exactly the kind of evidence that disappears fast.
- Even when the at-fault driver has not yet been identified, a claim may be available under the victim’s own uninsured motorist coverage or through the New York Motor Vehicle Accident Indemnification Corporation (MVAIC), which exists specifically for hit-and-run victims who cannot identify the responsible driver.
- Do not accept any settlement or sign any documents before speaking with an attorney. Initial offers rarely reflect the full scope of a catastrophic injury.
- An attorney can independently preserve traffic and surveillance footage, identify witnesses, and work alongside law enforcement to build the case in parallel with the criminal investigation.
New York follows a pure comparative fault standard, meaning Diana Rolon’s family can pursue a claim regardless of any partial fault findings. Under CPLR ยง 1411, recovery is not barred unless a court assigns 100% of the fault to the victim.
Under New York law, a personal injury claim must generally be filed within three years of the date of the crash (CPLR ยง 214). That deadline in this case falls on or around June 21, 2029. If Diana Rolon does not survive, a wrongful death claim must be filed within two years of the date of death (EPTL ยง 5-4.1). Do not wait to find out which deadline applies.
This is a developing story. Details may change as the investigation continues.
Contact Our Staten Island Hit-and-Run Attorneys
The Rolon family is at the bedside making decisions no family should face alone, while a driver who left their loved one on Decker Avenue has not yet been found. That combination of grief and unresolved accountability is exactly why having an attorney working the case now matters.
Our NYC pedestrian accident lawyers have helped families across New York navigate hit-and-run cases where the at-fault driver was initially unknown, and have recovered more than $900 million for injured New Yorkers over 25 years. We know the specific steps to take when the clock is running and the driver’s identity is still being established.
Security footage gets purged quickly. Witness accounts fade. The sooner someone begins preserving the evidence on Decker Avenue, the stronger the family’s position.
There is no upfront cost and nothing owed unless we recover for you.
Why Staten Island families trust Frekhtman & Associates:
- $900M+ recovered for injured New York clients across more than 25 years of practice
- $69,225,000 auto accident jury verdict, one of the largest in New York State history
- Free 24/7 consultations, including home and hospital visits for clients unable to travel
- Personal callbacks from founding attorney Arkady Frekhtman
- Russian-language services available
- Zero fees unless we win your case
Talk With a Staten Island Injury Attorney at (866) 288-9529
We are available around the clock. If the family cannot come to us, we come to them at the hospital or at home.
