Police seek public's help finding driver in Riverhead fatal hit-run

Riverhead Town Police and Suffolk County Crime Stoppers said Thursday they are looking for the driver of a stolen vehicle who struck and killed a woman walking in Riverhead last year.

The suspect was traveling east on County Road 58, near Woodcrest Avenue, in a 2000 Cadillac at about 9:20 p.m. on July 16 when he struck and killed Kristina M. Tfelt, 26, of Riverhead, police said. The car was reported stolen about a half-hour after the crash.

Police said Tfelt was discovered unconscious in the eastbound lane of Route 58 by officers responding to a 911 call. The single mother was taken to Peconic Bay Medical Center in Riverhead, where she was pronounced dead.

The Cadillac was found on a sidewalk "a few hundred feet" from the crash scene, near Woodcrest Avenue. The vehicle struck Tfelt, crashed into a retaining wall and was abandoned, police said. A male driver and male passenger were seen fleeing.

A witness saw the accident and ran to tell a police officer parked nearby, police said. Police said a search by State Police using a police dog and a Suffolk County police helicopter failed to locate the driver or passenger.

Anyone with information can call Riverhead police at 631-727-4500, ext. 318, or Crime Stoppers at 800-220-8477. All calls will be kept confidential.