Lancaster man charged in fatal Susquehanna River crash arrested in New York City: police | Local News

Editor’s note: This post has been updated to clarify the day Mikaail Fahim Cotton was arrested.

A man charged in the late July fatal crash of two cars into the Susquehanna River has been arrested in New York City after eight days as a fugitive, Manor Township police said.

Mikaail Fahim Cotton, 23, of Lancaster city, was being held at the New York City’s Rikers Island jail facility after being accused of a firearms offense, according to a Manor Township Police Department Facebook post.

The post, which was confirmed as valid early Wednesday by Manor Township police Cpl. Rockie Tice, said efforts to extradite him were underway. Tice said he did not have details about exactly when on Tuesday Cotton was arrested, where he was caught or the nature of alleged firearms offense.

He had been charged Aug. 3 with leaving the scene of the crash, driving on a DUI-related suspended license and failing to provide information after a crash. Police have said they also want to speak with two other people, Helmer Soto-Colon and Savahnnah McFerrin. They have not been charged.

A neighbor who helped three people get out of the water after the crash has said they told him not to call police and then walked away on railroad tracks, police have said.

Saige Zink, 20, died in the crash, which occurred after 2 a.m. July 20 near Washington Boro. Police said Cotton had been driving her blue Chrysler sedan on Charlestown Road, followed by a white BMW SUV, when the two speeding vehicles drove past a stop sign, crossed Route 441 and landed in the river. The scene is about 3 miles south of Columbia in Manor Township. The cars were found upside-down in about 5 feet of water. 

A witness told police he was approached by three “muddy” people in Columbia who asked to use his cellphone to get a ride to Lancaster city, according to investigators.

Last week, a video posted to Facebook and other social media sites appeared to show Cotton apologizing to Zink. Manor Township police Chief Colin Cleary said the video is part of the investigation but he did not authenticate it or say where it came from. LNP | LancasterOnline has not determined if Cotton made the video, but the Facebook account shows apparent images of Cotton, suggesting it is his or belongs to someone close to him.

In the video, someone who appears to be Cotton mentions Zink by name, saying he did not know he went too fast and “didn’t know he’d lose it.” He describes waking up in the water, not being able to see and feeling hopeless: “that’s why I fled the scene.”

“I’m so sorry I couldn’t get her out of that ride … get you out of that ride … and it’s heartbreaking, and every time we close our eyes, we keep seeing her smile,” he sings.

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