What to know
- The 36-year-old Brooklyn man who pleaded guilty last month to striking and killing a 63-year-old motorist on the Belt Parkway as he drove over 90 mph under the influence of cocaine, marijuana and alcohol in 2020 was sentenced to prison. in relation to the crime, local prosecutors said Wednesday.
- Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Jason Bical was sentenced to five to 15 years in prison for aggravated manslaughter in connection with the December 2020 fatal crash.
- Bical was speeding west on Belt Parkway near 131st Street at 92 mph when he struck the victim, Taher Ali Hassan, also of Brooklyn.
NEW YORK – The 36-year-old Brooklyn man who pleaded guilty last month to striking and killing a 63-year-old motorist on the Belt Parkway as he accelerated more than 90 mph while under the influence of cocaine, marijuana and alcohol in 2020 was sentenced to prison in connection with the crime, local prosecutors said Wednesday.
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Jason Bical was sentenced to five to 15 years in prison for aggravated manslaughter in connection with the December 2020 fatal crash.
According to court documents, at approximately 12:45 AM on December 9, 2020, Bical was driving a white 2017 Chevrolet Malibu, registered to his family business, Bical Chevrolet of Valley Stream. Bical was speeding west on Belt Parkway near 131st Street at 92 mph when he struck the victim, Taher Ali Hassan, also from Brooklyn.
Hassan was rushed to a local hospital with severe head trauma and later died of his injuries.
According to Katz, Bical’s blood alcohol level was 0.174, double the legal limit. Additional toxicology results showed that Bical also had significant amounts of cocaine and marijuana in his system at the time of the accident.
Two plastic bags containing cocaine were also found in the center console of the car Bical was driving, prosecutors said.
Crash Data Recorder, an automotive technology system, recovered from Bical’s vehicle revealed he was driving 92 mph, 42 mph over the posted speed limit, just five seconds before hitting the victim.
“This defendant admitted that he was driving nearly twice the speed limit while intoxicated with drugs and alcohol. He already had two previous drunk driving convictions in Brooklyn and should never have been behind the wheel. Neither his admission nor his conviction will restore the life lost,” Katz said in a statement.
