An off-duty cop, who was allegedly speeding in his SUV, crashed into a group of pedestrians. The car crash killed one pedestrian and caused three of his college friends to be injured as well.
The fatal car accident took place in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn at about 3:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 16. Witnesses reportedly saw the vehicle of Officer Nicholas Batka swerving and moving wildly down Bedford Avenue just moments prior to the crash. At some point, Batka allegedly lost control of the SUV.
As a result of the car collision, one person lost a leg and another was impaled on a fence. The EMTs had to use a saw to remove the man from the fence.
Witnesses tried to prevent the cop from fleeing the scene by standing outside the passenger side of the SUV. Officer Batka was trapped by the utility pole into which he crashed on the driver’s side.
Tragically, one of the car crash victims, a 21-year-old man, lost his life while being treated at Bellevue Hospital after the auto accident. The victim who died was later identified as Andrew Esquivel.
Meanwhile, Sophia Tabachow, who is 20 years old, was described as being in stable condition, while Divya Menezes, who is 23 years old, was listed in critical condition. Menezes suffered two broken legs in the crash and needed emergency surgery. James Balchaunas, who is 24 years old, was also injured, though his condition was unknown.
Officer Batka faces the following criminal charges in New York:
- Manslaughter
- Vehicular manslaughter
- Three counts of assault
- Driving while intoxicated
- Driving with impaired ability
- Driving on a sidewalk
In addition to criminal charges, Officer Batka may face civil charges of negligence from those who were injured, as well as a claim of wrongful death from the family of the victim who died.
If you were injured in a motor vehicle accident due to the negligence of another person, call the personal injury attorneys at Proner and Proner. We are prepared to help you get compensated for your injuries.
