Arrest made in fatal city hit-and-run

PHOTOGRAPHER: Bethany Bump

A tip led police to a man with 10 driver’s license suspensions who is believed to be responsible for Wednesday night’s hit-and-run accident that killed a 19-year-old city woman.

Anthony J. Gallo, 34, no address available, was arrested and charged with felony, misdemeanor and vehicle and traffic infractions Thursday.

He was charged with running a red light at the intersection of Erie Boulevard and State Street Wednesday, hitting Casandra A. Boone as she crossed Erie eastbound on State at 7:30 p.m. Boone, of 1525 Avenue B, died later after emergency surgery at Albany Medical Center.

The Schenectady County Community College freshman was struck by a white Dodge pickup truck that was headed toward Glenville. After police received a tip regarding the vehicle they eventually located it and the driver.

Gallo is charged with leaving the scene of a fatal auto accident, a felony; second-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, a misdemeanor; and a trio of vehicle and traffic infractions — passing a steady red light, imprudent speed and failure to exercise due care.

Police said additional charges are possible as investigators await the results of toxicology tests.

Schenectady County District Attorney Robert Carney said Thursday night that his office is working with investigators on the case, but that he can’t comment on whether a charge of vehicular manslaughter will eventually be lodged against Gallo.

“It’s the kind of thing you need to continue to investigate,” he said. “I can’t put a time line on it at this point because it just happened and there’s a lot more work that has to be done.”

Witnesses had originally told police that the vehicle involved may have been an older model Dodge pickup, possibly white or silver in color, missing the rear tailgate. Gallo is charged with driving the vehicle, registered to a female and owned by his father.

Boone was a full-time, first semester early childhood education major at SCCC, and a recent graduate of Schenectady High School. College officials described Boone as a “very promising and conscientious student,” in a statement released Thursday.