DA Announces No Charges in Death of Newburgh Paramedic

Orange County District Attorney Dave Hoovler announced today that prosecutors will not pursue criminal charges in the December crash that killed Newburgh paramedic Lisa Sillins. The office reviewed investigative steps and toxicology results and concluded the driver, identified as Pablo Colector, was not intoxicated when his truck struck Sillins while she was walking across Robinson Avenue after a night shift in the city.

The DA said the findings did not support initial reports from responding officers that Colector smelled of alcohol and had failed a field sobriety test. With the toxicology results and the investigative record, prosecutors have ruled Sillins death an accident and determined there is insufficient evidence to bring criminal charges.

Sillins was a well known and respected member of the emergency medical services community. Her family members and colleagues followed the investigation closely in the weeks since the crash, and the DA announcement removes the prospect of a criminal prosecution. Community members have not ruled out pursuing civil or other administrative avenues, and the decision is likely to prompt those conversations in the coming days.

The outcome will reverberate locally. Robinson Avenue is a busy corridor in Newburgh and the circumstances of the crash raise questions about nighttime pedestrian safety, street lighting, crosswalks and the protections available to people finishing late shifts in public service. City officials and public safety planners in Orange County may face renewed pressure to review traffic engineering and enforcement in areas where workers and residents routinely walk at night.

The DA determination resolves the criminal element of the case, but it does not preclude private legal action or administrative reviews by employers or municipal bodies. For many in Newburgh the loss of a first responder remains deeply felt, and the community now turns to discussions about prevention and accountability that fall outside the criminal justice process.