What you should know
- A Queens man is facing multiple charges in connection with an accident that killed a motorcyclist over the weekend, prosecutors said.
- Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced Tuesday that Jairo Ortiz was charged with manslaughter, drunk driving and other felonies.
- If convicted, Ortiz could spend seven years behind bars.
NEW YORK – A Queens man faces multiple charges in connection with an accident that killed a motorcyclist, prosecutors have said.
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced Tuesday that Jairo Ortiz was charged with manslaughter, drunk driving and other felonies for allegedly striking an unidentified motorcyclist while driving an unregistered and uninsured vehicle in Elmhurst on Saturday morning.
Ortiz was arraigned Sunday in Queens Criminal Court on a complaint charging him with second-degree vehicular manslaughter, driving a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs and driving without a license.
He is due back in court on January 25. If convicted, Ortiz faces up to 7 years in prison.
Information for Ortiz’s attorney was not immediately available.
The allegations stem from an incident that occurred on Nov. 26, according to Katz. At around 1:15 am that day, Ortiz was driving a black 2011 BMW southbound on 82nd Street and collided with an unidentified victim riding a 2021 Zhilong Fly Wing motorcycle near the intersection of 82nd Street and 37th Avenue. transported to a local hospital with traumatic head injuries and died shortly thereafter, prosecutors said.
According to the complaint, an alcohol test performed by police at the scene showed Ortiz’s blood alcohol content was above the legal limit. Ortiz allegedly failed to present a valid driver’s license or proof of insurance and vehicle registration, a Pennsylvania-registered BMW that does not match the vehicle’s VIN.
“As stated, the defendant was driving a car under the influence of alcohol. Furthermore, neither the defendant nor his vehicle were allowed to drive, ”said Katz. “The laws intended to protect us were deliberately violated. The consequence of that decision is a senseless loss of life ”.
