A Staten Island man has been sentenced to 2 to 6 years in prison following a guilty plea to second-degree manslaughter for causing a collision with a tractor-trailer. While driving drunk on the Gowanus Expressway, the defendant's front-seat passenger was killed in the crash.
“This defendant’s reckless decision to get behind the wheel after drinking alcohol cost an innocent woman her life and endangered many others," Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said.
"He has now been held accountable for his criminal conduct. I remain committed to keeping Brooklyn’s streets safe for all people.”
The defendant was identified as Mark Dookhan, 32, of Staten Island, New York. The investigation states that on March 10, 2021, at approximately 11:20pm, Dookhan was driving a 2013 BMW 535i westbound on the Gowanus Expressway when he crashed into the rear of a tractor-trailer stopped in traffic near the Verrazano Bridge.
The defendant drove approximately 75 mph and applied the brakes only a half-second before the crash. He was arrested at approximately 1:15am on March 11, 2021, and had a blood alcohol level of .12 — above the legal limit of .08 — when he was treated for minor injuries at NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn. The defendant’s front-seat passenger, Karen Diaz, 30, was killed in the crash.
