STATEN ISLAND — The intoxicated driver who blew through a red light and crashed her car into another vehicle, killing a woman, was released from the hospital and arraigned on Wednesday, prosecutors said.
Jennifer Montano, 26, of Eltingville, was charged with driving while intoxicated and vehicular manslaughter for the Monday night crash that killed Raquel Calleja, 41, in Prince's Bay, according to court documents.
Calleja, who lived in the neighborhood, was driving her 2007 Toyota 4Runner SUV on Huguenot Avenue around 11:20 p.m. when she was hit by Montano's 2000 Ford Explorer SUV while trying to cross the intersection at Hylan Boulevard, police said.
Calleja's car careened into the northbound lane of Hylan Boulevard where it struck a 2008 Mercedes ML350 SUV waiting for the light, police said.
Montano's car spun around, struck a fence and eventually stopped in front of I.S. 7, Elias Bernstein, police said.
Calleja was taken to Staten Island University Hospital North where she was pronounced dead.
Montano and a 37-year-old male she was driving with were both taken to the same hospital in stable condition, police said.
Montano's bail was set at $25,000 at her Wednesday arraignment in Staten Island Criminal Court, according to the District Attorney's office. She's due back in court on Dec. 26.
Montano was arrested three previous times this year, including in June when she threw a chair at her mom, ripped the woman's glasses off her face and smashed them, then cracked her car's windshield with her hand, according to court documents.
A lawyer for Montano could not be reached for comment.
