A judge in Brooklyn recently suspended the driver’s license of a man who previously worked as a NY policeman. This marks the second time the former cop has had his license suspended. He was charged with crashing his vehicle into pedestrians, one of whom was killed.
Following the entry of a plea of not guilty for Nicholas Batka, Justice William Miller ordered that he not drive. Batka’s attorney, Michael Farkas, informed the judge that his client’s license was suspended following his arraignment in criminal court. However, one week later, the license was returned following a hearing at the DMV.
When he was outside the court, Farkas explained that the arresting officer did not appear at the hearing. But Batka made an appearance, prompting the hearing officer at the DMV to return his license. However, in light of the indictment, Justice Miller cited common sense as a reason for ordering the license suspension and taking away Batka’s license once again.
Batka is alleged to have been imbibing alcoholic drinks along with two other NYPD officers on July 16 prior to operating his SUV. Batka then reportedly drove onto a curb, striking and killing an MIT student named Andrew Esquivel. Three other pedestrians suffered injuries in the DWI accident. According to witnesses, Batka tried to leave the scene after the crash but was prevented from doing so by bystanders. One man can be seen on video keeping the door to the SUV closed, trapping Batka inside until law enforcement could arrive at the scene of the accident.
Batka faces the following criminal charges in connection with the fatal auto accident:
- Vehicular manslaughter
- Criminally negligent homicide
In the event that Batka is convicted, he could serve a maximum of 25 years in prison.
If you were injured in a motor vehicle accident due to the negligence of another person, you may have a valid case of negligence against the wrongdoer. If you lost a loved one in such an incident, you may be able to file a wrongful death lawsuit. Call the experienced personal injury attorneys at Proner and Proner today to discuss your legal options.
