Carnage

Drugged Driver Who Killed Brooklyn Cyclist Pleads to Manslaughter

Eduard Nikhman was charged with two counts of manslaughter, two counts of assault, homicide, and driving while impaired by drugs -- all felonies -- as well as speeding, reckless driving, and failure to obey a traffic device.

By Brad Aaron

2:42 PM EST on February 1, 2017

Drugged Driver Who Killed Brooklyn Cyclist Pleads to Manslaughter

Image: WCBS

A driver who killed a cyclist in Brooklyn last year has pled guilty to manslaughter.

The unidentified victim — reportedly a man in his 20s — was riding a bike in the crosswalk across Avenue P at E. 12th Street in Midwood on the night of May 9, 2016, when Eduard Nikhman, driving a Honda sedan, ran a red light and hit a second vehicle, propelling it into the cyclist and causing fatal injuries.

Witnesses spoke with WCBS after the crash:

Minutes before the crash, witnesses spotted what looked to be Nihkman’s Honda speeding through the streets of the neighborhood.
“Yeah, ran that light, this light. It all happened in a second, that’s how fast he was going,” said witness Matthew Diab. “The guy coming this way had no chance.”

Security footage of the victim just before impact. Image: WCBS

Nikhman, then 26, tested positive for cocaine. He was charged with two counts of manslaughter, two counts of assault, homicide, and driving while impaired by drugs — all felonies — as well as speeding, reckless driving, and failure to obey a traffic device.

According to court records, on Tuesday Nikhman pled guilty to all charges. Manslaughter, the top charge, is a class C felony with penalties ranging from probation to 15 years in prison.

Nikhman is scheduled to be sentenced later this month.

Brad Aaron

Brad Aaron began writing for Streetsblog in 2007, after years as a reporter, editor, and publisher in the alternative weekly business. Brad adopted New York's dysfunctional traffic justice system as his primary beat for Streetsblog. He lives in Manhattan.