Family, Friends Mourn Van Crash Victim

Photograph of Ysemny Ramos via MySpace

Ysemny Ramos' husband finally told his three children that their mother (and stepmother) died. Ramos, who was three months pregnant, was killed on Friday when a Gristede's delivery van jumped a curb in Midtown and slammed into her. The Daily News reports that, according to the criminal complaint, the driver Keston Brown "told investigators he had had four beers and a shot of cognac before he got behind the wheel of the van" on Friday afternoon.

Also injured in the crash was Ramos' coworker Tassia Katsiambianis, who was run over by the van and whose elbow was fractured. She said to WABC 7, "I'm blessed to have known [Ramos]. I'm lost over the fact she's gone. I don't know how to go back to work and look at her desk." Brown was charged with manslaughter and DWI, but his lawyer claimed the van had a history of mechanical problems—"the car locked, and when the car locked it began to veer to the right."

While the outrage of a pregnant mother of three being seems like an opportunity for the Manhattan DA's office to seek justice, recently Gotham Gazette looked various cases of drivers getting off completely or with slight sentences15-day sentence for a drunk driver). Her husband Renaldo told the News, "If [Brown] walks away, it doesn't matter. If he stays in there forever, it doesn't matter. If they bury him in jail, it doesn't matter. If someone slits his throat on his way out of there, it doesn't matter. It doesn't bring her back."

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

By Jen Chung in News on March 30, 2009 5:00 PM

Comments [rss]

Guest

The lawyer wants to pass the buck from his client to an inanimate object that his client was in control of? That sounds about right. What would happen to our system of justice if lawyers were also punished for the crimes of clients they KNOW are guilty? There would be a lot less of this shit, that's for sure.

JRod5417

This is so sad. Does anyone know if a fund been established to help the family?

ed_Extinct

...but [the lawyer of Keston Brown], claimed the van had a history of mechanical problems...

Sounds like his client also has mechanical problems.

Ace

Renaldo: You are not alone, the city shares your pain and anguish.

schizofriendly

Horrible.

CR

Keston Brown "told investigators he had had four beers and a shot of cognac before he got behind the wheel of the van"

Cognac, eh? Mr. Fancy Who Drives the Van. His sister is probably still claiming up and down that he hadn't been drinking like she did on Saturday.