A New Jersey woman whose Range Rover collided with a vehicle on a highway was killed Tuesday after insisting to wait for police to respond to the fender bender – only for her to be rear-ended by another truck, which took her life.
Shelly Vilsaint, 49, was on a Bronx highway when the incident took place. She had accidentally rear-ended a tractor-trailer carrying U.S. mail at around 12:30 a.m., according to reports.
“They get out, and she wants cops to respond,” a police source told the New York Post. “There’s really no damage to the vehicle. She wants police to respond.”
The source continued: “They’re [in their vehicles] in the middle lane waiting for cops, and another tractor-trailer comes up and rear-ends her car. The poor lady loses her life over this.”
The accident’s impact caused her SUV to smash into the back of the first truck, causing her vehicle to flip over, police said.
All three vehicles caught fire and burst into flames.
First responders arrived at the scene to find Vilsaint inside her Range Rover where she was pronounced dead.
Both drivers of the trucks were uninjured and remained at the scene. No charges have been filed.
Vilsaint was a special education teacher for the New York City public schools.
“Shelly Vilsaint was a beloved special education teacher in our Borough who was dedicated to her students,” Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson tweeted shortly after her death. “She coached the female’s basketball team and was loved by all. We are devastated and offer our condolences & prayers to her family & school community.”
NYC Schools Chancellor David Banks expressed sympathy as well and said in a statement to ABC 7 Eyewitness News that “my thoughts are with Ms. Vilsaint’s loved ones, and I grieve this devastating loss alongside the entire school community.”
