Woman Who Killed College Student While Driving Drunk Sentenced

RYE, NY — The woman who pleaded guilty to killing a college student while she was driving drunk was sentenced Wednesday, Feb. 7. Westchester County District Attorney Anthony A. Scarpino, Jr. said that Emma Fox, 26, of Rye, was sentenced to six months in the Westchester County Jail followed by five years probation. As part of her sentence, Fox’s license was revoked, she will be required to wear an alcohol monitoring device and an ignition interlock device must be installed on any vehicle in her household.

Fox had pleaded guilty Nov. 29, 2016, to second-degree vehicular manslaughter, a felony, and one count of driving while intoxicated, a misdemeanor, in the death of Manhattanville College student Robert Schartner, 21, of Fishkill.

At the sentencing, Schartner’s stepfather read a statement on behalf of the victim’s mother and one on his own behalf. Scott Hall read his wife’s words explaining that she was not in court for the sentencing: “I do not want to see your face” referring to Fox.

The statement described her son as “caring, thoughtful, smart and charismatic.” On his own behalf, Hall said in reference to Fox, “People say she’s made a mistake. There was no mistake. You made a decision to drink and drive.”

Emma Fox made a statement to the court that said, in part, there was not a day since Oct. 9, 2016, that she doesn't think about what happened and the pain she cause Schartner’s family.

Judge Helen Blackwood, who presided over the sentencing, said the case was a tragedy for both Schartner family and Fox.

On Oct. 9, 2016, at approximately 4:50 a.m., Fox was driving her 2012 Nissan Sentra eastbound on Westchester Avenue in White Plains when she struck Schartner, who was running back to his dorm from downtown White Plains.

After striking Schartner, Fox drove approximately one-half mile before stopping her car on the right shoulder of Westchester Avenue near Meadowbrook Road. A passing motorist saw that her car had sustained substantial damage to the windshield and called 911.

Police responding to the scene found Schartner unconscious on the shoulder of Westchester Avenue near the entrance to eastbound Interstate 287. He had severe trauma to the back of his head and was pronounced dead at the scene.

White Plains police officers detected an odor of alcohol on Fox’s breath. Standard field sobriety tests were conducted, which Fox failed. She was arrested and taken to White Plains Police Department Headquarters.

Fox was then taken to White Plains Hospital, where she consented to a blood and urine test. Her blood alcohol content was found to be above 0.08 percent.

Schartner’s autopsy revealed that the cause of death was blunt force trauma of the body with fractures of the skull and ribs and lacerations of the brain, lungs, liver and internal hemorrhages.

Photo caption: Emma Fox. Photo credit: Westchester County District Attorney's Office.