Maria Guallpa-Bonilla, of Bellport, sentenced in and hit-and-run that killed firefighter Christopher Hlavaty, of East Patchogue

Maria Guallpa-Bonilla, in gray, pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of a fatal accident that killed a volunteer firefighter. Credit: Joseph Sperber
A Bellport woman apologized to an East Patchogue family as she was sentenced to 2 to 6 years in state prison for a fatal hit-and-run last summer that killed a 22-year-old volunteer firefighter.
Maria Guallpa-Bonilla, 37, had pleaded guilty in Suffolk County Court in October to one count of leaving the scene of an incident without reporting in connection with the June 10 fatal crash that killed Christopher Hlavaty, of East Patchogue.
"I’m very sorry," Guallpa-Bonilla said before Suffolk Supreme Court Justice Timothy Mazzei sentenced her to the agreed-upon sentence that’s one year below the maximum allowed under the law. "I hope that [the Hlavaty family is] going to be able to forgive me."
Guallpa-Bonilla’s remarks followed an emotional accounting by Hlavaty’s mother, Janine, of the hopes and dreams of her son before he died.
A young volunteer firefighter and paid EMS, who had earned a Rookie of the Year award from his Hagerman Fire Department, Hlavaty was set to join the National Guard in the days after the crash, his mother said.
"His commitment to serve his community was unparalleled," she said before a courtroom filled with emotional firefighters.
Hlavaty called her son a "helper," a "giver" and a "kind person," whose aspirations were well-charted.
"He knew what his life would look like," Hlavaty said as Guallpa-Bonilla listened.

Christopher Hlavaty was a volunteer firefighter with the Hagerman Fire Department in East Patchogue. Credit: Janine Hlavaty
Guallpa-Bonilla's attorney, Luigi A. Belcastro, of Central Islip, said it was important to his client that she take a quick plea in the case and avoid a trial, which would have prolonged the grieving process for the family of Hlavaty, whose stepfather died of a heart attack within months of the crash.
Mazzei handed down the sentence with no additional remarks from the bench.
On the day of the crash, Guallpa-Bonilla, who worked on Medford Avenue in Patchogue, left her job in a blue 2001 Mercury Cougar and drove west on East Main Street at about 10:47 p.m.
Guallpa-Bonilla struck Hlavaty, who was driving a motorcycle, as she made a left turn heading south on Rider Avenue, prosecutors said.
Hlavaty's motorcycle was eastbound and had the right of way, prosecutors said.
Guallpa-Bonilla drove over Hlavaty’s body "with the front and rear tires of the car," prosecutors said.
Guallpa-Bonilla then "left the scene without stopping or rendering aid to him and failed to report the collision to law enforcement," prosecutors said.
Hlavaty died of injuries he suffered in the crash, prosecutors said.
Investigators found car parts at the scene of the crash that matched the year, make and model of Guallpa-Bonilla's vehicle, prosecutors said.
Police found her car in her driveway two days later. It was covered with a tarp "to prevent it from being observed by the authorities," prosecutors said.
Guallpa-Bonilla was driving with a learner's permit at the time of the crash and was required to have another licensed driver in the vehicle, prosecutors said.
Belcastro said his client has expressed remorse from the time he met her.
"I do not believe she had any intent to cause anyone harm," the defense attorney said. "But, your honor, she did obviously cause a lot of people harm and she had no wish to continue that harm," Belcastro said.
Janine Hlavaty said her family has welcomed a baby, Christopher’s nephew, since his death. They share a name.
"My sweet grandson will never know his uncle," the grieving mom said. "Christopher had so much he wanted to teach him and show him. He would have been a great uncle."
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