Son: Crash victim, 93, was going to church

A 93-year-old woman on her way to church was killed Sunday morning after being hit by a car as she crossed the street in Huntington Station.

Mercedes Pulido was crossing New York Avenue near West Ninth Street when she was struck at 6:40 a.m. by a 1999 Ford Taurus heading south on New York Avenue.

"She was very religious," said her son Reynaldo Pulido, 63, who lived with her. "Almost every day, she would go visit the church and say some prayers."

Mercedes Pulido had been going to St. Hugh of Lincoln Roman Catholic Church for almost 14 years, her son said. The victim immigrated to the United States in 1990 from her native Colombia, where she had owned a grocery store for several years, her son said.

Reynaldo Pulido, an assembler, added that his mother never had any issues crossing the street.

"She was very independent," he said. "She used to be very active in the backyard, planting tomatoes and potatoes. I really don't know what really happened."

Soon after the accident, Mercedes Pulido was taken to Huntington Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

The driver, Bernadette Simon, 68, also of Huntington Station, was not injured, police said. The vehicle was impounded for a safety check and the investigation is continuing.

Detectives are asking anyone who may have witnessed the crash to contact the Second Squad at 631-854-8252 or call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 800-220-TIPS. All calls will remain confidential.