Driver Pleads to Manslaughter for Killing Washington Heights Pedestrian
A drunk hit-and-run driver who hit two people in Washington Heights in 2016, killing Jorge Encarnacion, has pled guilty to manslaughter.
At around 4:15 a.m. on January 30, Jonatan Segura, then 34, was driving a BMW sedan on 181st Street near Amsterdam Avenue when he hit a pickup truck and struck Encarnacion and an unidentified 46-year-old woman.
Signs of a high-speed collision were evident at the crash site. Photos published by the Daily News show the BMW, a racing sticker affixed to the back window, with extensive damage to the front end and windshield. The crash caused the airbags in the pickup truck to deploy.
Segura fled the scene and later turned himself in to police, according to the News.
Encarnacion, 46, died at Lincoln Hospital. The other pedestrian victim was hospitalized.
Segura was charged with manslaughter, two counts of assault, homicide, leaving the scene, and drunk driving — all felonies — in addition to misdemeanor assault and misdemeanor leaving the scene. He pled guilty to all charges last month, according to court records.
Manslaughter, the top charge against Segura, is a class C felony with penalties ranging from probation to 15 years in prison. Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance’s office recommended Segura be sentenced to five to 15 years. The judge promised him a sentence of four to 12 years, according to Vance’s office.
Segura’s sentencing hearing is set for later this month.
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.
