A Corona man driving while drunk with a suspended license struck and killed an unidentified livery cab driver pulled over in the safety lane in a deadly early morning New Year’s Day crash in Maspeth, police said.
Around 5:07 a.m., police responded to a distress call at the scene of an accident at the expressway at Maurice Avenue and the Long Island Expressway.
According to police sources, witnesses said Alexis Morillo, 28, of Corona, was driving his grey 2007 Mitsubishi Galant recklessly eastbound on the expressway when he rear-ended a livery cab—with the apparent driver as the only occupant—that had pulled over in the safety lane with possible car problems.
After striking the car, police say that Morillo attempted to flee the scene but was caught not far from the accident site. No information is available on the victim, as police are still working to identify him.
Morillo, who was injured in the crash, was taken to Elmhurst Hospital, and is being charged with vehicular manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, DWI, and driving with a suspended license.
While it is uncertain why Morillo’s license was suspended, police confirmed that it was not suspended for DWI, as Sunday’s intoxicated driving charges marked the first time Morillo’s license was charged as such.
By Jean-Paul Salamanca
