Driver Pleads to Felony in Hit-and-Run Death of Manhattan Pedestrian
A driver who killed a Union Square pedestrian pled guilty to a felony hit-and-run charge this week.
Doohee Cho, 33, was crossing Fifth Avenue between E. 15th and E. 16th streets in the early morning hours of September 28, 2014, when Macgyver Beltran hit him with a Chevrolet sedan, according to published reports.
Police arrested Beltran two days later, after releasing video of him speeding away from the scene in the visibly damaged car. Beltran had taken the car, a rental, to have it repaired, the Post reported.
Beltran, then 25, had an arrest record that included a reckless driving offense, the Post said.
According to court records, Beltran was charged with leaving the scene of an injury crash and evidence tampering, class D and E felonies, respectively. He pled guilty to both charges on Tuesday.
Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance did not charge Beltran for the act of killing Doohee Cho.
The top charge against Beltran — leaving the scene — carries penalties ranging from probation to seven years in prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced on August 26.
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