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Seven years for Berlin driver who hid after fatal hit-and-run

A young Camden County mother who hid from police for three days last fall after killing a pedestrian in a hit-and-run accident in Cherry Hill was sentenced Friday to seven years in prison.

A young Camden County mother who hid from police for three days last fall after killing a pedestrian in a hit-and-run accident in Cherry Hill was sentenced Friday to seven years in prison.

Elisha Pollosco, 25, of Berlin, pleaded guilty in January to knowingly leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death.

Pollosco drove her Pontiac Grand Prix onto the shoulder of Route 70, near Ranoldo Terrace, on Sept. 15 and struck Binh Tsan, 25, of Runnemede, who was crossing with her fiance as they returned to work after lunch.

Tsan died two days later. Michael Medina, her fiance, was grazed by the car and suffered minor physical injuries.

Medina tearfully recalled the accident he described as a "disgusting . . . nightmare" in a statement delivered to Superior Court Judge Samuel D. Natal before sentencing Friday.

"She was left like a dog in the street. . . . Not even a dog, because people stop for dogs," said Medina, who paused several times to regain his composure as he described his deep love for the woman he called "Sammie."

He and Tsan met as 14-year-olds playing pool online, Medina said. She lived in California and attended college there while he studied in Rhode Island. They worked odd jobs to earn money to visit together each summer, and, after graduation, Tsan moved east, where they got jobs at the same law firm.

"Before she was taken from me, from everyone, so senselessly, she and I were discussing things like wedding flowers and baby names," said Medina, who lived with Tsan in Runnemede.

Also giving victim-impact statements were Medina's mother, Libertad Rodriquez, who said Tsan was like her own daughter, and a nursing student, Desiree Forbes, 43, of Marlton, who stopped to help Tsan, who lay on the busy roadway, suffering from massive head injuries.

Pollosco's mother, stepfather, a cousin, and several family friends also attended the proceeding. None was allowed to speak, except to state his or her name and relationship to the defendant. All declined comment after the hearing.

Pollosco wept and told the judge that she took "full responsibility" for the accident.

"I just want to ask for forgiveness because I never meant to hurt anyone," said Pollosco, the mother of a 4-year-old son.

Defense attorney Michael Pinsky accused the prosecution of "trying to demonize" Pollosco at the hearing by bringing up her driving record and a previous arrest.

Pollosco had nearly a dozen motor-vehicle violations between 2005 and the time of the hit-and-run, including several minor accidents, according to state records.

She was convicted in June and sentenced to three years' probation for her involvement in a scheme to steal prescription drugs, according to court documents.

The judge sustained Pinsky's objections, but Camden County Assistant Prosecutor Ira Slovin continued to mention the conviction.

Slovin also noted that Pollosco had "gunned her engine to flee" the accident scene and ignored advice from family and friends to turn herself in.

Pollosco's sister, Gretchen, 28, of Cherry Hill, has been charged with hindering apprehension and providing false information to investigators. The defendant fled to her sister's house immediately after the accident and hid her damaged vehicle in her sister's garage.

Elisha Pollosco later bought stickers and decals in an attempt to change the appearance of the Pontiac after she learned police were combing the area looking for it, Slovin said.

Judge Natal said Pollosco could have received as much as 10 years in prison. Though he said her leaving the scene was a "very, very serious crime," Natal said he based his sentence on a number of factors, including that Pollosco had not purposely caused the accident.

Besides her seven-year sentence for the hit-and-run, she will serve a concurrent four-year sentence for violating parole on the prescription-drug charge. Pollosco, who has been in jail since her arrest, must serve at least 16 months before she is eligible for parole, Natal said.