An NYPD sergeant was indicted Monday on manslaughter and other charges for allegedly causing a deadly head-on crash in Westchester County while driving drunk earlier this year, Attorney General Letitia James announced Monday.
Tiffany Howell, 47, who resides in Warwick in Orange County, was arraigned on March 2 on counts of aggravated vehicular homicide, second-degree manslaughter, first- and second-degree vehicular manslaughter for sparking the fatal Jan. 22 crash on the Taconic State Parkway in the town of Mount Pleasant.
Howell was assigned to the NYPD Crime Control Strategies Unit at the time of the deadly collision. The NYPD said Monday that she has been suspended without pay.
State prosecutors said that Howell allegedly drove southbound in the northbound lanes of the parkway at about 11:37 p.m. on Jan. 22 at speeds of more than 50 mph.
In doing so, court records noted, Howell crashed her vehicle head-on into a car operated by Manuel Boitel, 61, who suffered fatal injuries as a result. Boitel had worked as a Manhattan doorman and was on his way home from work when he was killed, The New York Times reported.
Responding police in Westchester County found upon further investigation that Howell had a blood alcohol level of 0.18%, well above the 0.08% state limit. The Times reported that Howell had been returning from a social event.
Howell was arraigned on March 2 in Westchester County Court before Judge George Fufido, who ordered her held on $250,000 bond, $500,000 partially secured bond, or $100,000 cash. She is due to return to court on March 18.
The sergeant faces between 8 1/3 and 25 years in prison if she is convicted on the aggravated vehicular homicide charge, James reported.
With reporting by Dean Moses
