On Monday, two people died and others were critically injured in two separate crashes in Brooklyn and Queens that were believed to be the result of drag racing. (Yesterday the driver in the Brooklyn crash, 23-year-old Anel Kolenovic, was charged with criminal negligent homicide, driving while intoxicated, reckless driving, and disobeying a red light.) And on Sunday, Bronx landscaper Everardo Nieto allegedly killed an 86-year-old Long Island man when Nieto veered into oncoming traffic during a drag race. Police also found an empty bottle of vodka in Nieto's truck.
Prosecutors say Nieto had an 0.08 percent blood-alcohol content on the afternoon of the crash, which occurred on Jericho Turnpike in Syosset. (0.08 or higher is considered intoxicated in NY.) Nieto told cops that he had been drinking with friends after work, and CBS2 reports that a witness said it appeared that Nieto was drag racing with the driver of another truck. "When the light turned green…both trucks took off at an accelerate speed," the witness claims. Nieto then collided with the 2010 blue Mercedes-Benz sedan driven by Lucille Jacobs, 84, who is in critical condition. Her husband Myron Jacobs is dead.
Newsday (paywall) reports that Nieto's passenger, Angel Lizama, 63, sustained life-threatening injuries including internal bleeding and fractures. Police are still looking for the driver of the truck Nieto was racing with, but Nieto has been charged with misdemeanor driving while intoxicated and several felonies, including aggravated vehicular assault, assault, manslaughter and vehicular homicide. Newsday also finds that Nieto's license was suspended for 90 days after pleading guilty to DUI following a 2009 arrest in Queens. Oh well, maybe now that he's finally killed at least one person maybe his license will be revoked for good.
