A Long Island mom died on Mother\u2019s Day saving her daughter from being mowed down by an out-of-control motorist, police said.<\/p>\n
Diane Aluska, 55, pushed her 16-year-old daughter, Jenna, from the path of a Toyota Corolla barreling toward them in reverse in Lindenhurst, authorities said Sunday.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is no doubt she saved her daughter\u2019s life,\u201d Suffolk County police Detective Sgt. James Murphy said of Diane Aluska.<\/p>\n
The mother and daughter had just attended Mass at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Roman Catholic Church and were walking down South Wellwood Avenue at 9:15 a.m., officials said.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s when they were struck by an 80-year-old driver who had backed out of a bakery\u2019s parking lot onto Wellwood Avenue, police said. The driver believed she had thrown the car into drive \u2014 but still had it in reverse, police said.<\/p>\n
When motorist Ann Riolo hit the accelerator to go forward, she instead kept going backward and jumped the curb.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe did not put the car in drive, thought she had, and hit the gas,\u201d Murphy said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe car arched back towards the sidewalk, missing three parked cars and hitting the two women.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mom Diane Aluska pushed her daughter from harm\u2019s way just in the nick of time, police said.<\/p>\n
The teen largely avoided Riolo\u2019s 2005 Toyota, but Aluska took the brunt of the collision, according to Murphy.<\/p>\n
\u201cDiane Aluska \u2026 put her hand on her daughter\u2019s shoulder and attempted to push her out of the way,\u201d Murphy said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe car just clipped her 16-year-old daughter Jenna. Diane was killed.\u201d<\/p>\n
The mom and daughter were both taken to Good Samaritan Hospital in West Islip where Aluska died. Her daughter was listed in stable condition, police said.<\/p>\n
Riolo remained at the scene and will probably not be criminally charged, police said.<\/p>\n
She was eventually taken to Good Samaritan Hospital for treatment of minor injuries.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis appears to be non-criminal, a tragic accident,\u201d Murphy said. \u201c We are taking the car in to investigate, but it appears to be non criminal.\u201d<\/p>\n
The mom and daughter had left church, then went to a bakery before they were struck, witnesses said.<\/p>\n
The street was strewn with rolls from the bakery and carnation flowers.<\/p>\n
Additional reporting by David K. Li<\/p>\n\n
A Long Island mom died on Mother\u2019s Day saving her daughter from being mowed down by an out-of-control motorist, police said. Diane Aluska, 55, pushed her 16-year-old daughter, Jenna, from the path of a Toyota Corolla barreling toward them in reverse in Lindenhurst, authorities said Sunday. \u201cThere is no doubt she saved her daughter\u2019s life,\u201d …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":34115,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[38],"tags":[2305],"yoast_head":"\n