In only the second known full bench trial of charges under the Right of Way Law, prosecutor Candace White won conviction of the driver, whose widow, Chris Brimer, is represented by Steve Vaccaro.
Alekseev ran over and killed Upper West Side cyclist Jeffrey Williamson, 71, with his truck while making a right turn from Central Park West onto W. 86th Street on June 29, 2021.
The driver had a long history of bad behavior behind the wheel dating back to before and during his employment at the national mail carrier, but the postal service has declined to comment. He was fired after the crash in 2021 after 15 years on the job.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg hailed the verdict. “Today’s conviction demonstrates our commitment to holding negligent drivers accountable,” he said in a statement. “Nothing can undo the tragedy that occurred, but I hope this outcome in court can provide a small measure of comfort.”
After the verdict, Williamson’s widow Christopher Brimer remained angry that the defendant’s attorney had blamed her late husband for his death.
“The experience has left me deeply shaken to listen to the defense accuse my husband of causing his own death was unbearably painful and I just feel a little sick right now, you know,” she told Streetsblog after the ruling. “I’m grateful that he was found guilty. I think that his loss has been a far greater tragedy than the charges would indicate but that’s the state of the law and there’s nothing that can be done about that.”
The criminal conviction sends a signal that injuring or killing with a vehicle will have more serious consequences than a ticket, said Steve Vaccaro, who is representing Brimer in a separate civil case about the crash.
“This is a very important development in moving the ball forward so that all drivers now will learn that they could face penalties just like Alekseev, including criminal liability and a criminal record, if they don’t pay attention when they’re driving around vulnerable road users,” Vaccaro told Streetsblog.
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