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Drugged Driver Who Killed Brooklyn Cyclist Pleads to Manslaughter

2:42 PM EST on February 1, 2017

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
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.

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