NEW YORK (WCBS 880 News) -- A 24-year-old man was charged following a fatal collision with a scooter rider, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced on Tuesday.
Jairo Ortiz was charged with vehicular manslaughter, operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs and driving without a license for allegedly hitting an unidentified motorcyclist while driving an unregistered, uninsured vehicle in Elmhurst on Saturday morning.
"As alleged, the defendant was driving a car while under the influence of alcohol. In addition, neither the defendant nor his vehicle was authorized to be on the road. Laws meant to protect us were willfully broken," District Attorney Katz said. "The consequence of that decision is a senseless loss of life."
According to the charges, at approximately 1:15 a.m. on November 26, Otriz was driving a black 2011 BMW southbound on 82nd Street in Jackson Heights and collided with an unidentified victim, who was operating a 2021 Zhilong Fly Wing motorcycle, near the intersection of 82nd Street and 37th Avenue.
The victim was transported to NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst with traumatic head injuries and died shortly thereafter.
An alcohol test administered by police responding to the scene of the collision showed Ortiz’s blood alcohol content was above the legal limit. He was also unable to produce a valid driver’s license or proof of insurance and registration for the vehicle, a BMW with a Pennsylvania license plate not matching the vehicle’s VIN, a complain said.
Ortiz was arraigned Sunday in Queens Criminal Court and is set to return to court on January 25.
If convicted, Ortiz faces up to seven years in prison.
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