New York police officer charged in fatal car accident

A rookie police officer has been charged with manslaughter following the tragic death of a promising MIT student. New York police arrested one of their own after a car accident they believe was precipitated by the officer’s alleged intoxication. So far, no court date has been publicly announced for the case, though the officer has apparently been suspended. 

According to the accident report, the 28-year-old off-duty officer was driving his SUV in Brooklyn when he drove into a group of four young pedestrians early in the morning of July 16. The details of the crash were not recorded in the report, but it has been confirmed that a 21-year-old man was killed in the crash. The other three individuals struck were rushed to local hospitals. 

Two were taken in for surgery, and the third suffered such extreme injuries that he will be required to undergo multiple surgeries to regain the use of his leg, which was shattered in the accident. It is unclear whether the driver suffered injuries. However, he was booked for manslaughter and a number of other crimes before being freed on $300,000 bond. 

When the officer goes to trial, it will be up to the criminal court to determine his sentencing if he is found guilty. However, New York law also permits the family of the man killed in the car accident, as well as his injured friends, to file wrongful death and personal injury lawsuits against the officer within the civil justice system. Evidence from the police investigation may be offered to support civil claims for monetary damages even if no conviction is secured in criminal court. 

Source: New York Post, “Man killed in cop’s alleged drunken crash was MIT student“, Tina Moore, July 17, 2016