NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — A Brooklyn man who blew through a red light and fatally struck a deliveryman on a scooter in 2020 has been sentenced to three to six years in prison, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez announced Thursday.
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The sentence was imposed Thursday after 31-year-old Valdez Heron pleaded guilty in June to second-degree manslaughter for causing the death of 43-year-old Xiang Wu — two months after the collision left him critically injured.
According to Gonzalez, on Oct. 18, 2020, around 11:50 a.m., Heron was driving a 2015 Dodge Charger eastbound on 46th Street towards 9th Avenue in Borough Park when he ran a steady red light, striking Wu as he rode a Yamaha SMAX scooter through the intersection.
The force of the impact sent Wu over the hood of the Charger and onto the pavement.
Heron then jumped out of the Charger while it was still in drive, according to the investigation, and the car rolled down the street, striking a parked car before coming to a stop.
Wu was taken in critical condition to Maimonides Medical Center, where he underwent multiple surgeries. He was then transferred to the Bedford Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation on Nov. 25, 2020.
According to the district attorney's office, Wu was found unresponsive on Dec. 21, 2020, and was taken to Woodhull Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.
The Office of the New York Medical Examiner determined the cause of death to be complications of multiple blunt force injuries.
"This defendant’s recklessness behind the wheel tragically took the life of a hardworking husband and father. He has now been held accountable for his actions," Gonzalez said in a statement. "I am committed to keeping Brooklyn’s roads safe for all people."
After his father's passing, Jiale Wu, one of Wu's two sons, told the Daily News that he had nothing to say to Heron.
"Anger will only make things worse," he said. "I feel more sad than anything."
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