Off-duty Cicero officer, who hit and killed pedestrian, committed no crime, NY attorney general says

Cicero, N.Y. – An off-duty Cicero police officer involved in a crash that left one pedestrian dead a year ago will face no charges, according to the New York Attorney General’s Office.

Attorney General Letitia James’s office Thursday said it will not seek charges against the patrol officer, Michael Aregano, 52, because there is no evidence that he committed a crime.

Aregano was driving on Northern Boulevard in Cicero on Dec. 17, 2021, when his vehicle hit Chatuma M. Crawford, 20, of Kirkville. Crawford was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.

Investigators say Aregano was traveling at a reasonable speed and was not impaired. The investigation found that the lack of street lighting and the dark clothing Crawford was wearing contributed to the officer’s inability to see him, according to the AG’s report.

Aregano also took an alcohol test following the crash, which came back negative, according to an AG’s report.

The AG’s Office released a 12-page report Thursday about the crash and investigation. It is based on a review of physical evidence, eyewitness accounts, a crash reconstruction analysis, and body-worn camera footage.

Here is what the report and state troopers say happened:

Around 7 p.m. on December 17, 2021, Aregano and his fiancée were driving to Syracuse for dinner reservations. Aregano was driving south on Northern Boulevard in his fiancee’s SUV, a 2018 black Toyota Highlander, when he and his fiancee saw a car stopped on the right shoulder of the road.

The lights of that vehicle, 2015 black Kia sedan, were still on despite being parked. Aregano and his fiancee noticed a person was standing outside the car on the driver’s side.

After they passed the car, the SUV struck something “out of nowhere,” according to Aregano. The off-duty officer said he heard a “bang,” and realized that he might have hit a person. Aregano also said he was unable to react, or do anything to avoid the collision, because he did not see anything in the road before the crash.

Slightly earlier in the evening, Crawford was driving on Totman Road near Northern Boulevard with his girlfriend after leaving a party, where they had argued, the girlfriend told investigators.

Crawford stopped the car, got out and began walking along the shoulder of Northern Boulevard.

Crawford’s girlfriend climbed into the driver’s seat and followed him to try and get him back in the car. The couple began to argue again and Crawford threw his phone into the road in frustration, the girlfriend told investigators.

When Crawford went to retrieve his phone, he stepped into the left driving lane where Aregano’s SUV struck him, the investigation found.

Crawford’s girlfriend said she didn’t see the collision but heard a loud noise, followed by the sound of car parts hitting the road. She ran to the left lane of the road to find Crawford lying on his stomach, unconscious and unresponsive. His girlfriend attempted to wake him up and when she couldn’t, asked Aregano to call the police.

Aregano and others who stopped their vehicles provided first aid to Crawford until emergency crews responded.

Crawford’s girlfriend said he was wearing a black hoodie, black pants and black socks. Aregano and his fiancee told investigators it was too dark to see Crawford in the road.

An autopsy report said that Crawford may have been bent over when he was struck by the SUV.

Investigators also determined Aregano was going between 48-57 mph, a reasonable speed for the roadway when the crash occurred. The speed limit of that part of Northern Boulevard is 55 mph.

Staff writer Darian Stevenson covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, a story idea, a question or a comment? You can reach her at dstevenson@syracuse.com

If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation.