By Gus Saltonstall
The man who was allegedly driving while intoxicated and jumped the curb into four pedestrians on the corner of West 109th Street and Amsterdam Avenue, killing two of them, was indicted on Wednesday on multiple counts in connection with the May incident, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced.
Elvin Suarez, 61, has been indicted on counts of aggravated vehicular homicide, second-degree manslaughter, aggravated vehicular assault, and aggravated driving while intoxicated, according to the DA’s office.
“As alleged, Elvin Suarez’s decision to drive while intoxicated had devastating and entirely preventable consequences,” Bragg said in a news release. “Three men were significantly injured, and Jason Negron and Michael Saint-Hilaire—devoted fathers, loyal friends, and beloved members of their Upper West Side community—were killed.”
Suarez was driving his car around 6 p.m. on May 15, while allegedly intoxicated and at a high rate of speed, heading northbound on Amsterdam Avenue, between West 107th and 108th streets, when he struck an unoccupied parked car, according to court documents. He continued driving up the avenue, when he jumped over a median separating a bike lane from the street, allegedly striking four people.
“A few minutes later, police officers arrived at the scene, finding Mr. Negron unresponsive and trapped beneath Suarez’s vehicle, and Mr. Saint-Hilaire receiving CPR from a bystander,” reads the DA Office’s news release. “The remaining three victims – 36, 44, and 51-year-old men – received treatment by first responders for their injuries.”
One of those victims was the 51-year-old man who was sitting in his parked car at the corner of West 109th Street and Amsterdam Avenue.
Negron was a longtime, beloved doorman of a nearby Upper West Side building on West 110th Street. He leaves behind two daughters and a wife.
Read More:
- 2 Men Killed After Car Jumps UWS Sidewalk Curb and Crashes Into Pedestrians: Police
- UWS Community Holds Candlelight Vigil to Mourn Two Men Killed in Friday Night Crash
- Beloved UWS Doorman’s Passing Leaves Neighborhood Building in Mourning: ‘He’ll Be Dearly Missed’
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