Crime Scene

The New York State Senate has created a criminal charge of aggravated vehicular homicide for drunken drivers who kill people. The measure has been sent to the state Assembly for consideration.

While the state already has vehicular homicide statue on the books, Sen. Thomas Morahan, R-New City, said this bill would strengthen state law and would carry a state prison sentence of up to 25 years in prison. This crime would apply to criminals who kill someone in a drunk or drugged driving crash and also have at least one of the following:
• BAC of .18 or higher.
•  A prior DWI conviction within the last 10 years.
• The person was driving with a suspended or revoked license from any state.

Morahan, R-New City, said the law came about partially because of the death of Katie Flynn, 7. On July 2, 2005, the Flynn family was riding home from a family member’s wedding in Long Island in a limousine when they were hit head-on by Martin Heidgen, 24, a drunk driver who was driving on the wrong side of the Meadowbrook Parkway in Long Island. The crash killed Katie Flynn and 59-year-old limo driver Stanley Rabinowitz.

The Senate also has adopted two DWI bills that would:
increase penalties for criminal convictions of drunk or drugged driving where a child, under the age of 17, is a passenger (S.5315); and expand and strengthen New York State’s ignition interlock program for DWI offenders (S.5780).