Tuesday, 05 Dec 2023

Driver who killed Brooklyn motorcyclist was high on drugs, had young children in Jeep: DA

Driver who killed Brooklyn motorcyclist was high on drugs, had young children in Jeep: DA

New York (Writer) - An unlicensed driver who killed a beloved Brooklyn motorcyclist was high on methadone and pot — and had his young daughters in the Jeep with him when he crashed, authorities said Sunday.Sherman was an EMT who worked at Maimonides Medical Center — the same hospital where he died.Police respond to a collision between a car and a motorcycle on Avenue P and W. 4th St. in Brooklyn Friday. “This kid was loved by so many people,” the victim’s cousin Nicholas Ramcharitar said Saturday. “He’s that friend you always wanted.”

Ortiz had his two girls, ages 9 and 6, in the back seat of his Jeep Patriot when he made a left turn at W. Fourth St. and Avenue P in Bensonhurst and collided with Sherman’s motorcycle, according to a criminal complaint. Both girls were hospitalized but are expected to fully recover.

Ortiz has been taking methadone for 35 years and admitted to smoking pot earlier in the day, the complaint alleges. He had bloodshot and glassy eyes, slurred his speech and was confused after the crash, prosecutors said.

In addition to vehicular manslaughter, Ortiz was hit with a slew of charges including felony aggravated driving while intoxicated with children in the vehicle, or Leandra’s Law — named for 11-year-old Leandra Rosado, who died in a drunken-driving crash on the Henry Hudson Parkway in Manhattan. The legislation was championed by the Daily News.

Ortiz was arraigned Saturday in Brooklyn Criminal Court and released on $7,500 bond. He declined comment when reached by The News Sunday.

Police respond to a collision between a car and a motorcycle on Avenue P and West 4th Street in Brooklyn on Friday, April 22, 2022.

“The Sherman family at this time, does not wish to comment on the arrest of Mr. Hector Ortiz, pursuant to NYPD’s ongoing investigation,” Ramcharitar said Sunday. “We thank NYPD for their immediate attention to this matter.”

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