Fatal Midtown Crash: Survivor Speaks, Faulty Van Defense

Photograph of Ysemny Ramos with her husband, stepdaughter and two sons, via MySpace

The husband of a pregnant woman, killed when a Gristede's van—driven by an allegedly drunk man—jumped a curb and slammed into her, raged at the horrible tragedy. In spite of driver Keston Brown being charged with manslaughter, the victim's husband Raynaldo Ramos told the Daily News there would be no justice, "If they do a million years, she ain't coming back. If they do the death penalty, she ain't coming back."

Ysemny Ramos, 29, and her coworker Tassia Katsiambanis, 37, had left the office on Friday around 5 p.m. and were walking along East 37th between Fifth and Madison Avenues. Katsiambanis told the NY Times, "I just heard the acceleration, and then all I remember is being under the van. I just panicked, and I was trying to find a way to get out from under the van. It was a horrible experience." While she suffered a broken elbow, Ramos died at the scene. Katsiambanis also told the News, "We never saw it. "It just hit us."

The survivor also said she did not hear the van's driver calling out at her and Ramos; witnesses had said they heard cat calls from the van and it was suggested the driver may have been upset the cat calls were being ignored, so he accelerated. But, according to the Post, the driver's coworker had been cat calling while the News says Brown was, per police sources, "shouting come-ons at the two women from his window before losing control of the delivery van."

Brown, a 27-year-old Gristede's carpenter and maintenance worker, was charged with driving while intoxicated—he allegedly had a 0.17 blood alcohol level—and felony assault in addition to manslaughter. However, his lawyer claimed that the van had a history of problems, “The problem was suddenly the car locked, and when the car locked it began to veer to the right. He attempted to shift into neutral and stopped the car. The car simply did not stop." Brown's 9-months pregnant fiancee told the Post, "He said he was very sorry... He's not a murderer. He wouldn't intentionally hurt someone. It was a horrible accident."

Ysmeny Ramos' MySpace bio says, "Born & raised in Sunset Park, Proud mother of three (two gorgeous little boys and a beautiful (step)daugther, dedicated wife. I have a BA in Visual Art/Graphic Design from SUNY New Paltz." The day she was killed was her third wedding anniversary; Raynaldo Ramos told the Times, "I remember yesterday morning waking up and looking over and saying, ‘Thank you for being with me,'" while he said to the News, "She kept the family together. Her babies are crying right now." Funeral services at being held tomorrow and Tuesday.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on March 29, 2009 12:42 PM

Comments [rss]

hard times

If the van truly does have a "history of problems" then the owner of the vehicle should also be liable for allowing that dangerous van to be on the road.

NannyState

Seeing that family destroyed because a piece of drunken filth failed to gain the affection of a bright and talented mother is beyond enraging. Brown deserves special treatment: something very medieval...

Bernie Madoff-Goetz

This is easily the saddest thing I've read about in a really long time. Is there a fund to help the husband and kids?

Splicer

Lowest forms of life, both the driver and the lawyer.

S.D.

Suuuuurrrrrreeeee, it was the van and not being intoxicated.

IMO, That lawyer is a Moron. All the Jury will hear is:

"Pregnant woman killed on sidewalk by DRUNK driver who was drinking on the job."

I'm sure it wasn't intentional but he should just make a plea deal.

Spirit of 76

Another bottom of the barrel defense lawyer. Whether the van had problems or not, he probably can't dispute the blood alcohol results. And just because the van's steering allegedly locked, Brown never heard of brakes?

Maintenance man/carpenter about to work for Homeland Security. That sure makes me feel safe knowing how high their standards are for new hires.

jaycjay

"Work for the Department of Homeland Security" could mean a lot of different things. He probably wasn't going to be a security analyst of anything. Maybe he was to be a maintenance man for them. I'd be willing to be, though, it was specifically with TSA.