Unlicensed Long Island Driver Sentenced to up to 15 Years in Prison for Wrong Way Crash that Paralyzed Woman from Neck Down

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, September 12, 2024

Unlicensed Long Island Driver Sentenced to up to 15 Years in Prison
for Wrong Way Crash that Paralyzed Woman from Neck Down

Defendant Was Under the Influence of PCP and Marijuana When He Collided with an Uber in East Williamsburg

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a Long Island man has been sentenced to up to 15 years in prison following his conviction for aggravated vehicular assault and other charges after causing a wrong way collision in East Williamsburg in 2021. The defendant, whose license had previously been revoked, was driving under the influence of PCP and marijuana when he crashed into an Uber vehicle, leaving one of its passengers a quadriplegic.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, "This defendant's reckless decision to drive while under the influence of drugs forever altered the life of a young woman, leaving her with catastrophic injuries and a lifetime of challenges. His actions that night were a threat to everyone on the road, and his callous disregard for the law and for human life has left a family devastated. My office is deeply committed to pursuing justice for victims and ensuring that drug-impaired drivers are held accountable."

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Virgilio Rodriguez, 51, of Rockville Center, Long Island. He was sentenced today to 7 ½ to 15 years in prison by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Eugene Guarino. The defendant was convicted of aggravated vehicular assault, second-degree assault, and driving while ability impaired by drugs on August 2, 2024, following a jury trial.

The District Attorney said that, according to the evidence, on November 6, 2021, at approximately 12:49 a.m., the defendant was driving a Ford F-150 truck in East Williamsburg at a high rate of speed when he ran a red light and turned onto Bushwick Place, going the wrong way on a one-way street. The defendant then t-boned a Hyundai Elantra ride-share vehicle carrying two passengers. The impact sent both vehicles onto the sidewalk and into the side of a building.

Furthermore, according to the evidence, the defendant then exited the Ford truck and began to undress in the middle of the street while shouting, "I'm alive." The defendant briefly left the scene on foot before returning and trying to re-enter the Ford truck. He was then stopped by police who found PCP and marijuana in the vehicle's center console. The defendant was observed to show signs of being impaired by drugs. After being taken to the 78th Police Precinct, the defendant stripped down to his underwear. He began chanting and crawling on the ground before attempting to climb the bars of his holding cell.

One of the passengers in the Uber, a 28-year-old woman, was rushed to Elmhurst Hospital in critical condition where she underwent emergency spinal surgery. On November 7, 2021, the victim was transferred to Mount Sinai Hospital, where she was placed on a ventilator due to respiratory failure. She remained on the ventilator for over a month and underwent a tracheostomy to assist her breathing. The victim remained hospitalized at Mount Sinai until March 8, 2022, and continues to receive round-the-clock medical care.

The second passenger, 27, and driver of the Uber, 39, were taken to Elmhurst Hospital and treated for minor injuries.

The District Attorney thanked Paralegals Toki Kim and Alexee Hernandez, of the Grey Zone Trial Bureau, and Digital Forensic Analyst Kelly Crawford for their assistance on the case.

The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Tara Kelly and Senior Assistant District Attorney Patrick O'Donnell, of the District Attorney's Grey Zone Trial Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Robert Walsh, Chief of the Grey Zone.

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