A Long Island sanitation company and one of its drivers are facing criminal charges following a crash last summer that crushed a woman to death. 
Suffolk County prosecutors say Jet Sanitation Services Corp. and driver Robert Moore pleaded not guilty to a 12-count indictment including criminally negligent homicide.
Deborah Shavalier was at a stoplight in East Northport on June 29 when a Jet Sanitation garbage truck overturned onto her Honda Civic. Moore told police his brakes failed.
“Instead of replacing parts on the truck’s braking system as required, Jet Sanitation merely made adjustments and put this vehicle back on the road”, District Attorney Tom Spota said in a statement, adding that investigators found the truck had only two properly maintained brakes.
He added that the company was cited 28 times for brake and weight violations over a six-month period in 2009.
A lawyer for the company said Jet should not be prosecuted for what he termed a tragic accident. The driver’s attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.
