Police say a woman leaped from her moving car with her throat cut, and her coworker now faces an attempted murder charge.
Story Snapshot
- Police found a driver with a severe neck wound after a crash at Augie’s To-Go.
- Investigators say her passenger, a coworker, slashed her throat with a knife.
- The victim reportedly jumped from the moving car and called for help.
- Officers detained the passenger nearby and filed felony charges.
What Police Say Happened On The Road
Saratoga Springs police responded to a car that hit Augie’s To-Go and found the driver bleeding from a severe neck cut. Officers said the wound did not match the crash and appeared to be caused by a blade. Investigators stated the passenger, identified as David Cruz Torres, asked his coworker for a ride home after work. During the drive, police said he pulled a knife and slashed her throat. She reportedly jumped out while the car was still moving and yelled for help.
Police said the car kept rolling and struck the building, drawing officers and bystanders. Responders got the victim to Saratoga Hospital, then she was airlifted to Albany Medical Center for higher-level care due to life-threatening injuries. Reporters noted the wound as a serious laceration to the neck. Accounts from the scene described a chaotic few moments, with people rushing to help as sirens closed in and the damaged vehicle came to rest by the storefront.
The Arrest, The Charges, And The Setting
Officers reported finding Torres near the crash site after he tried to run. Police detained him without further injury and booked him on attempted murder in the second degree and criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree. Detectives said they confirmed the two worked together and that he got the ride after their shift. The department described follow-up interviews with witnesses and medical staff, plus evidence collection and search warrants to lock down the timeline and scene.
Local coverage echoed core facts: the neck wound, the jump from the moving car, the crash into the building, and the fast medical transfer. Several outlets carried the same police narrative, including details about the life-threatening nature of the injury and the custody status of the suspect. A later report identified the victim as Olivia Neri and noted community support while she recovered from surgery and ongoing care in Albany, according to local updates.
Why The Charge Is Attempted Murder
Prosecutors often file attempted murder when evidence suggests an attack aimed at a vital area, paired with conduct that came dangerously close to killing. New York courts say attempt requires intent to cause death plus steps that moved beyond preparation toward the completed crime. The New York Court of Appeals has described this as coming “dangerously close” to the result. A knife slash to the neck can support that intent theory in the right facts pattern.
Recent New York cases show why neck wounds matter. In one Court of Appeals case, prosecutors charged attempted murder after a knife attack that targeted the neck and chest, and the court discussed how those facts can support the state’s burden on intent when paired with other proof. Each case still turns on specific evidence, but injuries to vital areas often weigh heavily for the prosecution at charging and trial stages.
A 36-year-old man is accused of slashing his coworker's throat with a knife while she was driving him home from work in Saratoga Springs, New York.
Police say David Cruz Torres, of Michoacán, Mexico, pulled out a knife and cut the victim's throat mid-drive. The woman managed to… pic.twitter.com/pSYl6hkGjU
— Fox News US (@FoxUSNews) October 12, 2026
What Comes Next In Court
The case now moves into standard steps: discovery, any pending grand jury actions, and pretrial hearings. Prosecutors will seek to match the wound, the scene, and any recovered items to their theory. Defense counsel will test those claims. Under New York law, a jury must find that the accused intended to kill and acted in a way that nearly completed that goal. The cut location, medical records, and the sequence of the jump and crash may be central at trial.
Sources:
foxnews.com, wamc.org, news10.com, m.dailyadvent.com, newsbreak.com
