No Charges for Alleged Drunken Hit-and-Run Death of Brooklyn Woman
Contrary to media reports, the Domino’s Pizza delivery driver accused of killing pedestrian Margaret Myers in Brooklyn earlier this month is not facing charges for her death.
NYPD sources told the Post and Daily News that Videsh Badal was drunk and driving with a suspended a license when he ran down Myers, 69, on Wortman Avenue in East New York on the evening of March 7. Badal kept driving. When a witness caught up with Badal and confronted him, he reportedly replied, “Well, who’s going to pay for my car?”
The papers reported that Badal was charged with manslaughter, DWI, resisting arrest and leaving the scene. But an online court database shows that leaving the scene is the current top charge against Badal. Other charges include third degree aggravated unlicensed operation and operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated.
A spokesperson at the office of Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes confirmed that Badal has not been charged for killing Myers. The spokesperson said the manslaughter charge could have been issued by NYPD, but dropped by Hynes’s office. The spokesperson said the case is now with the grand jury and said he could not speculate whether charges might be upgraded.
Another facet of this case, like many others, is that as far as readers of the Post and Daily News know, justice has been served. City media sometimes take notice when a killer driver is charged and gets off easy, but most often the public is left to assume that a commensurate charge will be levied, followed by a sentence that fits the crime, when in reality most cases end with a slap on the wrist.
According to the online database, Badal isn’t scheduled to return to court until September. He is currently being held on $20,000 bond, the Hynes spokesperson said.
Read More:
Streetsblog has migrated to a new comment system. New commenters can register directly in the comments section of any article. Returning commenters: your previous comments and display name have been preserved, but you'll need to reclaim your account by clicking "Forgot your password?" on the sign-in form, entering your email, and following the verification link to set a new password — this is required because passwords could not be carried over during the migration. For questions, contact tips@streetsblog.org.
