Cabbie faces murder charge in fatal hit-run

A Haitian-born cabdriver has been charged with murder in a hit-and-run that killed a 5-year-old boy and critically injured the child's mother, police said yesterday.

Yves Aristilde, 62, surrendered to police Sunday afternoon and identified himself as the driver of a Yellow Cab that struck the boy and his mother, police said. Bail was set at $6 million.

Police had been seeking the driver who struck Dana Reynolds, 23, and her son Tyrell Elliot as they crossed Windrim Avenue shortly before 2 a.m. Sunday in the city's Logan section.

The child was in his mother's arms when the cab plowed into them, police said. The vehicle then sped off. The cabbie had "disregarded a red signal" immediately before the accident, a police spokeswoman said.

The boy and his mother were rushed to Albert Einstein Medical Center. The boy, who would have entered kindergarten this year, was pronounced dead at 2:30 a.m., police said. The mother was in critical condition yesterday. The cab was found abandoned several hours later at Sixth Street and Lindley Avenue, less than a mile from the scene of the accident.

Aristilde was also charged with aggravated assault, homicide by vehicle, involuntary manslaughter, simple assault, and recklessly endangering another person.