Latest news with #vehicularhomicide
CBS News
14 hours ago
- CBS News
Spring Valley, N.Y. man arraigned for crash that killed 4-year-old girl on sidewalk with family
The man arrested for a fatal crash in Spring Valley, New York that killed a 4-year-old girl and severely injured three of her family members pleaded not guilty at his arraignment. Axel Lopez-Santiago wore an orange jumpsuit to his court appearance Friday in Rockland County after being charged with DWI and aggravated vehicular homicide in the death of 4-year-old Goldy Eisenbach. Goldy Eisenbach Eisenbach Family Police said Lopez-Santiago, 41, was drunk behind the wheel during the June 14 crash on Old Nyack Turnpike, where the girl and her family were struck on a sidewalk while leaving Kennedy Park. He suddenly veered across the double yellow line and struck at least four people before crashing into a tree, investigators said. He also faces second degree manslaughter, assault and reckless driving charges. "Insane, traumatic and horrific scene" Lopez-Santiago sat in a wheelchair as prosecutors said his blood alcohol content was .19 -- more than twice New York's legal limit -- two hours after the crash. Police said Lopez-Santiago struck four members of Yisroel Eisenbach's family, including Goldy, his daughter. "It looked literally like a bomb. I see a stroller on end, a yarmulke, the wheel of the stroller on the other end, and the car between a gate and a tree. It literally looked like a bomb and I didn't know what happened," Eisenbach's said. "EMTs showed up. They are first on the scene. There are bodies everywhere. It is an insane, traumatic and horrific scene." "He destroyed many, many, many families," said Moishe Eisenbach. 3 crash victims, including 2 children, seriously injured Three of the people struck in the crash, including two other children, survived with serious injuries. An injured adult, named Abraham, remained hospitalized in critical condition with an array of broken bones. Abraham's wife, Trana Loeffler, was on the sidewalk the night of the crash, but not struck. She said seeing the suspect in court brought her to peace. "I had to see him in cuffs to be able to get him out of my face, out of my mind, o be able to sleep better at night, because I'm so scared of him. Now I see that he is in jail and he's not getting any bail, I'm more relieved," Loeffler said. Goldy Eisenbach Eisenbach Family Eisenbach said his daughter "always wanted to be a peacemaker, always had a smile on her face, and always wanted to make others smile." "It's not easy losing a loved one, especially a tragic incident like that," he said. Lopez-Santiago is due back in court July 19. contributed to this report.
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Yahoo
Alleged drunk driving crash near Kalispell costs passenger an arm
Jun. 27—Prosecutors say a driver involved in a U.S. 2 wreck earlier this month that cost her passenger a limb had a breath alcohol concentration of more than twice the legal limit. Kelly Ann Hartigan, 48, faces one count of felony negligent vehicular homicide in Flathead County District Court following the June 14 crash. Held in the county jail with bail set at $100,000, she is scheduled to appear before Judge Danni Coffman on June 30 for her arraignment. Hartigan was headed eastbound on U.S. 2 near Kalispell when she drove off the road and hit a light pole, according to court documents. The collision tore the right arm off of her passenger at the shoulder, and Hartigan allegedly continued driving for another 500 yards before stopping. An arriving Montana Highway Patrol trooper allegedly smelled the odor of an alcoholic beverage on Hartigan. They described her as unsteady on her feet and seemed poised to fall over, according to court documents. During the ensuing field sobriety tests, Hartigan allegedly showed multiple signs of impairment. She also sported glossy eyes and swayed on her feet. A subsequent breath test returned with an alcohol content of 0.180, according to court documents. Investigators later secured a blood draw at a medical center following her arrest. If convicted, Hartigan faces up to 10 years behind bars and a fine of $10,000. News Editor Derrick Perkins can be reached at 758-4430 or dperkins@
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Spring Valley man indicted on further charges after sidewalk crash kills 4-year-old girl
SPRING VALLEY - Police released a detailed report this week about how a Spring Valley man plowed into a crowd of people walking on a sidewalk earlier this month, killing a 4-year-old girl and seriously injuring two others. Axel I. Lopez-Santiago, 41, has been charged with three counts of aggravated vehicular homicide, one count of second-degree manslaughter, two counts of second-degree assault, one count of driving while intoxicated as a felony and one count of reckless driving. Lopez-Santiago is scheduled for arraignment on the indictment on Friday, June 27, before County Court Judge Djinsad Desir in the County Courthouse in New City. Lopez-Santiago has been held in the county jail since his arrest on $750,000 cash bail set after the fatal incident. He would face a maximum sentence of 8 1/3 to 25 years in prison if convicted of the top charge. Lopez-Santigato is accused of recklessly driving his motor vehicle at a high rate of speed as he traveled east on Old Nyack Turnpike in Spring Valley on June 14, the Rockland District Attorney's Office said in a news release on Thursday, June 26. Lopez-Santiago's vehicle veered across the double yellow line and into the opposite lane and off the road onto the pedestrian sidewalk near the entrance to Kennedy Park, the release stated. His vehicle struck at least four people before crashing into a tree. The girl who died was the daughter of Spring Valley Village Trustee Yisroel Eisenbach. Eisenbach, formerly Spring Valley's former deputy mayor, was instrumental in a plan to refurbish Kennedy Park's play area. More on Spring Valley crash: 4-year-old Spring Valley girl killed by car while walking on sidewalk; 3 others injured A 31-year-old man and a 5-year-old boy suffered serious injuries. The police investigation revealed that Lopez-Santiago was intoxicated, authorities said. Another boy, 2, also suffered injuries. All four were taken to Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, Spring Valley police reported. The investigation was conducted by the Spring Valley Police Department, with the assistance of officers from the Ramapo Police Department and the Rockland County Sheriff's Office. The case is being prosecuted by Supervising Assistant District Attorney Sharleen Bailon and Executive Assistant District Attorney Michael Dugandzic of the Vehicular Crimes Unit. A spate of pedestrian crashes has rattled residents of the village of Spring Valley and the town of Ramapo. More than 20 pedestrians had been hit by vehicles across Ramapo from September 2024 through April 2025, police have reported. Steve Lieberman covers government, breaking news, courts, police, and investigations. Reach him at slieberm@ Twitter: @lohudlegal. Read more articles and bio. Our local coverage is only possible with support from our readers. This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Spring Valley driver hit with further charges after crash kills girl
The Independent
2 days ago
- The Independent
Driver running late for work killed wife in tragic crash
A motorist killed his wife in a head-on crash after he claimed he was running late for work. Asen Kurtev was driving his wife Sofka Mitkova and three colleagues to work as he overtook several vehicles as he travelled to Spalding on 4 March last year. Kurtev, 46, carried out 'an obviously highly dangerous' overtake on the A16 outside Boston in Lincolnshire and crashed into an oncoming Volkswagen Scirocco. His colleagues were seriously injured in the crash while his wife Sofka, 39, suffered fatal chest injuries. The driver of the Volkswagen also sustained multiple serious injuries in the collision including fractures, and has since undergone surgery for his injuries. Kurtev was jailed at Lincoln Crown Court on Thursday for 10 years and nine months, for causing death by dangerous driving, with concurrent sentences of 36 months for three counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving in relation to three backseat passengers in his Vauxhall Zafira. In addition, he was handed a 27-month concurrent sentence for causing serious injury to the driver of the oncoming vehicle he crashed into. Judge Catarina Sjolin Knight KC told Kurtev that the loss of his wife is a 'pain and punishment you will carry forever'. The court heard husband and wife passengers Kiril Ribarov and Gayla Ribarova, who were in the back of Kurtev's car alongside Dimitar Dimitrov, told the defendant to slow down as he overtook multiple vehicles while driving them to work at JZ Flowers at about 6.50am. Prosecution counsel Tony Stanford said it was Kurtev's job to pick up workers and drive to them to the factory for the 7am shift, but he was 25 minutes late collecting them, and Mr Ribarov told police it was clear he was 'trying to catch up on his lateness'. He described Kurtev's behaviour, including overtaking a line of four or five cars on the A16, in a manoeuvre lasting around 15 seconds on the busy road, as 'suicide, kamikaze driving'. Judge Sjolin Knight said that, like many Lincolnshire A-roads, the A16 was flat and straight with good visibility, and that the conditions were 'not such that there was any point in overtaking as there was a line of traffic'. Kurtev's car was 'wholly in the other carriageway' when he crashed head on into a Volkswagen Scirocco being driven by Cameron Marshall, who was left with fractures to his lower spine and wrist, and damage to his spleen and upper bowel, and required surgery to his abdomen and his forearm, which needed to be realigned. In a victim impact statement, Mr Marshall, who was 22 at the time and a professional HGV driver, said the crash was 'never something I ever thought I would experience', and the effect his injuries have had on his family has been 'truly heartbreaking'. All three of Kurtev's passengers, none of whom were wearing a seat belt because they reportedly did not work, were seriously injured, and Mr Ribarov said he and his wife have had to return to Bulgaria. He said the crash, which left him with a fractured eye socket, cheekbone, kneecap and wrist, had caused 'horrendous stress', adding: 'We were in a foreign country with no income and no support. 'When this happened, we came to England to work, but had to return to Bulgaria because we couldn't work. Everything in Bulgaria is so expensive, I can't support my family.' Representing Kurtev, who pleaded guilty to the offences on Monday, which was due to be the first day of his trial, John McNally said he never would have carried out the overtake if he had seen Mr Marshall's car coming towards him. He said: 'He is truly sorry for what happened, he never meant for it to happen. 'He realises the failings were his and he regrets what has been caused to everybody and knows it is a daily reminder, from the destruction of his family life, of what he did. 'It will weigh heavily on him. 'In custody he will be largely alone as a man with limited skills and limited language.' Addressing Kurtev, of Carlton Road in Boston, who listened to proceedings via a Bulgarian interpreter, Judge Sjolin Knight said: 'The small car coming towards you was driven by 22-year-old Cameron Marshall, a professional HGV driver. 'The drivers of the three cars behind yours saw his car, you should have seen it too, particularly as you were the one pulling out to drive on his side of the road. 'Whether you saw it and thought you could get back in before he reached you, or you didn't see it, I cannot determine. 'The traffic conditions were not such that there was any point in overtaking, there was a line of traffic. 'The amount of traffic meant this was a manoeuvre you never should have attempted because there was no safe way back into the line of traffic. 'Witnesses inside and outside the car described it as suicidal, kamikaze and crazy. It is not a safe manoeuvre that went wrong.' She added: 'You were the one who had embarked on an obviously highly dangerous manoeuvre and the result was a head-on collision. 'The results of that head-on collision have been catastrophic.' The judge said Kurtev may face being automatically deported after his sentence, of which he must serve two-thirds, and was banned from driving for five years upon his release.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
Impatient driver who killed his own wife in head-on crash while late for work is jailed for 10 years
An impatient driver who killed his own wife and injured four others in a head-on crash because he was running late for work has been jailed for more than 10 years. Asen Kurtev carried out 'an obviously highly dangerous' overtake on the A16 outside Boston in Lincolnshire while he was driving colleagues to work on the morning of March 4 last year. He collided with an oncoming vehicle, causing his wife, Sofka Mitkova, 39, fatal chest injuries. Judge Catarina Sjolin Knight KC told Kurtev, 46, that the loss of his wife is a 'pain and punishment you will carry forever'. The court heard husband and wife passengers Kiril Ribarov and Gayla Ribarova, who were in the back of Kurtev's car alongside Dimitar Dimitrov, told the defendant to slow down as he overtook multiple vehicles while driving them to work at JZ Flowers at about 6.50am. Prosecution counsel Tony Stanford said it was Kurtev's job to pick up workers and drive to them to the factory for the 7am shift, but he was 25 minutes late collecting them and Mr Ribarov told police it was clear he was 'trying to catch up on his lateness'. He described Kurtev's behaviour, including overtaking a line of four or five cars on the A16, in a manoeuvre lasting around 15 seconds on the busy road, as 'suicide, kamikaze driving'. Judge Sjolin Knight said that, like many Lincolnshire A-roads, the A16 was flat and straight with good visibility and that the conditions were 'not such that there was any point in overtaking as there was a line of traffic'. Kurtev's car was 'wholly in the other carriageway' when he crashed head on into a Volkswagen Scirocco being driven by Cameron Marshall, who was left with fractures to his lower spine and wrist and damage to his spleen and upper bowel. He also required surgery to his abdomen and his forearm, which needed to be realigned. In a victim impact statement, Mr Marshall, who was 22 at the time and a professional HGV driver, said the crash was 'never something I ever thought I would experience' and the effect his injuries have had on his family has been 'truly heartbreaking'. All three of Kurtev's passengers, none of whom were wearing a seat belt because they reportedly did not work, were seriously injured and Mr Ribarov said he and his wife have had to return to Bulgaria. He said the crash, which left him with a fractured eye socket, cheekbone, kneecap and wrist, had caused 'horrendous stress', adding: 'We were in a foreign country with no income and no support. 'When this happened, we came to England to work, but had to return to Bulgaria because we couldn't work. 'Everything in Bulgaria is so expensive. I can't support my family.' Representing Kurtev, who pleaded guilty to the offences on Monday, John McNally said he would never have carried out the overtake if he had seen Mr Marshall's car coming towards him. He said: 'He is truly sorry for what happened. He never meant for it to happen. 'He realises the failings were his and he regrets what has been caused to everybody and knows it is a daily reminder, from the destruction of his family life, of what he did. 'It will weigh heavily on him. In custody he will be largely alone as a man with limited skills and limited language.' Addressing Kurtev, of Carlton Road in Boston, who listened to proceedings via a Bulgarian interpreter, Judge Sjolin Knight said: 'The small car coming towards you was driven by 22-year-old Cameron Marshall, a professional HGV driver. 'The drivers of the three cars behind yours saw his car, you should have seen it too, particularly as you were the one pulling out to drive on his side of the road. 'Whether you saw it and thought you could get back in before he reached you, or you didn't see it, I cannot determine. 'The traffic conditions were not such that there was any point in overtaking. There was a line of traffic. 'The amount of traffic meant this was a manoeuvre you never should have attempted because there was no safe way back into the line of traffic. 'Witnesses inside and outside the car described it as suicidal, kamikaze and crazy. It is not a safe manoeuvre that went wrong.' She added: 'You were the one who had embarked on an obviously highly dangerous manoeuvre and the result was a head-on collision. 'The results of that head-on collision have been catastrophic.' He was jailed at Lincoln Crown Court on Thursday for 10 years and nine months for causing death by dangerous driving, with concurrent sentences of 36 months for three counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving in relation to three backseat passengers in his Vauxhall Zafira, and 27 months concurrent for causing serious injury to the driver of the oncoming vehicle he crashed into. The judge said Kurtev may face being automatically deported after his sentence, of which he must serve two-thirds, and was banned from driving for five years upon his release.
