MOUNT VERNON MAN SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR VEHICULAR MANSLAUGHTER IN DEATH OF BRONX WOMAN

 

Defendant Was Driving Over 90 MPH When He Struck Victim; Drove Pickup Truck in Opposite Lane, Hit 13 Parked Cars

 Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark announced that a Mount Vernon man has been sentenced to 5-10 years in prison after pleading guilty to second-degree Manslaughter for running over a Bronx woman with his pickup truck in the Soundview section of the Bronx.

 District Attorney Clark said, “The defendant was recklessly speeding and under the influence when he hit the victim with his vehicle, killing her. Even after he ran over the victim, he continued to speed, driving into the opposite lane and over a bike path, and crashing into 13 parked cars. His reckless behavior ended the life of a beloved 31-year-old woman, who had just parked her car and was on her way to see her family.”

 District Attorney Clark said the defendant, Robert Johnson, 43, of Mount Vernon, NY, was sentenced today by Bronx Supreme Court Justice Martin Marcus to 5-10 years in prison. The defendant pleaded guilty to second-degree Manslaughter and Operating a Motor Vehicle While Under the Influence of Alcohol or Drugs on January 20, 2023.

 According to the investigation, on September 28, 2021 at approximately 9:30 a.m., the defendant was driving his 2012 Dodge Ram at 90-95 miles per hour in the vicinity of East 174th Street and Bronx River Avenue, where the speed limit is 25 miles per hour. Johnson, who was on parole at the time, struck Carina Lopez, 31, who had just parked her car in the area. The defendant continued to drive at an excessive speed across double yellow lines into the opposite side of traffic, on a bike lane, and over a concrete center median, colliding with a total of 13 parked vehicles. The victim was taken to St. Barnabas Hospital where she was pronounced dead upon arrival. According to the investigation, Johnson was under the influence of a significant amount of cocaine.

 District Attorney Clark also thanked NYPD Detective Peter Jarvis, formerly of the NYPD Collision Investigation Squad, and Detective Gregory Gianacopulos of the NYPD Collision Investigation Squad for their assistance in the investigation.

Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson - Join Us: Black History Month Celebration

 

Dear Neighbor,

Join us on Thursday, February 23rd for our annual Black History Month Celebration event at Eastwood Manor Banquet Hall (3371 Eastchester Road).

Doors open at 5:30 PM.

Click here to RSVP

In partnership,

Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson

Governor Hochul Announces State Police Issue 11,865 Tickets During Super Bowl Weekend Stop DWI Enforcement Campaign

 

State Troopers Arrested 183 People for DWI During Super Bowl Weekend

 The New York State Police today announced that Troopers issued more than 11,800 tickets during a special STOP DWI traffic enforcement period over Super Bowl Weekend. During the campaign which started on Friday, February 10, 2023 and ran through Monday, February 13, 2023, Troopers arrested 183 people for DWI and investigated 490 crashes, which resulted in 73 people being injured and four fatalities.

"I thank our State Police and local law enforcement for their diligent efforts to get dangerous drivers off of the roads," Governor Hochul said. "The poor decisions made by impaired and reckless drivers put everyone on the road at risk. Enforcements like these send the message that we will not tolerate this behavior on our roadways."

State Police increased patrols and conducted sobriety checkpoints to deter, identify and arrest impaired drivers.The initiative was funded by the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee (GTSC) and was also carried out by local law enforcement agencies across the state. During last year's Super Bowl enforcement initiative, State Police issued 10,975 tickets, arrested 189 people for DWI, and investigated 688 crashes that resulted in 87 individuals being injured and four fatalities.

New York State Police Acting Superintendent Steven A. Nigrelli said, "I commend our Troopers and local law enforcement partners for the work they do each day to keep our roads safe. However, the results of this year's enforcement shows that too many people are still making the wrong decision and getting behind the wheel while drunk or impaired. We have no tolerance for this behavior, and our Troopers will remain vigilant to remove these reckless individuals from our roadways."

As part of the enforcement, Troopers also targeted drivers speeding and aggressive drivers across the State, and issued a total of 11, 865 tickets for a variety of vehicle and traffic violations. Below is a sampling of tickets that were issued.

• Speeding: 4,119
• Distracted Driving: 267
• Seatbelt violations: 356
• Move Over Law: 86

The results of the campaign broken down by Troop:

Troop	Region	DWI Arrests  (# of persons)	Speed	Distracted Driving	Child Restraint/  Seat Belt	Move Over	Total  Tickets  (includesother violations)
A	Western NY	16	407	12	38	2	1,272
B	North Country	4	149	19	14	4	645
C	Southern Tier	9	372	10	19	10	974
D	Central NY	12	309	29	23	6	1,024
E	Finger Lakes	20	344	38	79	2	1,389
F	Upper Hudson Valley	31	374	22	44	6	1,081
G	Capital Region	16	334	15	19	4	930
K	Lower Hudson Valley	33	625	27	25	24	1,308
L	Long Island	23	274	30	32	5	813
NYC	New York City	3	68	13	18	1	581
T	NYS Thruway	16	863	52	45	22	1,848