Photo Courtesy of Cannabis Wiki
Surveillance video showed Elicier at a strip club earlier in the evening, drinking Hennessy and smoking marijuana, prior to him getting behind the wheel of his vehicle.
By Forum Staff
A Brooklyn man has admitted to getting behind the wheel of a car and driving after consuming alcohol and smoking marijuana, causing an August 2018 crash that killed a man and his two dogs, and injured four people, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced Friday.
Alex Elicier, 31, pleaded guilty Thursday to aggravated vehicular homicide, second-degree assault, and two counts of overdriving, torturing or injuring an animal. Sentencing has been set for Aug. 27. At that time Elicier faces a term of 5 to 15 years in prison, Katz noted.
Just before 5 a.m. on Aug. 18, 2018, Elicier was driving on the Van Wyck Expressway near Jewel Avenue. Behind the wheel of a Chevy, Elicier was weaving in and out of traffic and crossing multiple lanes, Katz said. Speeding in excess of 80 mph, Elicier slammed into the back of an Acura being driven by Jasmine Rodriguez. Inside the car with the 27-year-old woman were her friend, Jairo Castano, and his two pets.
Photo Courtesy of Google
On Aug. 18, 2018, Alex Elicier caused a pile-up on the Van Wyck Expressway near Jewel Avenue.
According to the charges, the force of the crash pushed the Acura into the center guardrail and then it went airborne and landed upside-down in the southbound lanes of the Van Wyck. Then a motorist going south on the expressway struck the vehicle. Castano, 38, was crushed on impact and pronounced dead at the scene. The two dogs were ejected from the vehicle and died. Rodriguez survived the collision but sustained facial fractures, injuries to her torso, and a broken arm.
The DA added that, in all, seven vehicles were either hit by debris or crashed while trying to avoid being hit, including a U.S. Transportation Security Administration K-9 Unit heading to John F. Kennedy International Airport. A total of five people, including Elicier were injured in the crash.
Katz said that Elicier was treated at an area hospital for head injuries. At that time, a search warrant was executed for Elicier’s blood. Forty minutes after the crash, Elicier’s blood-alcohol level was .16. He also tested positive for the presence of THC in his blood stream. Surveillance video showed Elicier at a strip club earlier in the evening, drinking Hennessy and smoking marijuana, prior to him getting behind the wheel of the Chevy.
