BRONX MAN CONVICTED OF DRIVING A MACK TRUCK WHILE DRUNK,
KILLING A THREE-YEAR-OLD BOY AND INJURING HIS MOTHER AND
ANOTHER PEDESTRIAN
Bronx District Attorney Robert T. Johnson announced today the conviction of a 58-year-old man in the death of a three-year-old boy whom the defendant struck and killed while driving drunk.
Freddy Rodriguez, of 909 Kelly Street, the Bronx, was found guilty on one count of Manslaughter in the 2nd degree and one count of Vehicular Manslaughter in the death of Saquann Williams; two counts of Assault in the 2nd degree, and two counts of Vehicular Assault in the 2nd degree, for injuries sustained by the child’s mother, Tasha Gibbs, and another pedestrian, Giselle Buie; and two counts of Operating a Motor Vehicle While Under the Influence of Alcohol.
The jury convicted Rodriguez on the third day of deliberations following a five-week trial. After taking the verdict, State Supreme Court Justice Robert Torres revoked Rodriguez’ bail of $100,000 and ordered the defendant remanded pending sentencing on Monday, June 30, 2008 in Part T-1. Rodriguez is facing a maximum concurrent terms of up to 15 years imprisonment, as a matter of law, since all of the offenses of which he was convicted arose from a single criminal act.
The crimes occurred on August 1, 2005 in the vicinity of Mount Eden Avenue and East 173rd Street when the intoxicated defendant drove a Mack truck through a red light and struck the little boy, his mother and a third pedestrian. Saquann Williams was crushed to death while his mother Tasha Gibbs suffered a fractured skull, punctured lung and broken pelvis. The third pedestrian, Giselle Buie, suffered severe brain trauma. The truck that Rodriguez was driving also slammed into several occupied vehicles before coming to a stop, however the jury acquitted the defendant in connection with injuries sustained by the occupants of those vehicles.
A friend of the defendant had left the truck double parked with the ignition turned off and the gears in reverse. The People argued that an intoxicated Rodriguez got into the truck and attempted to move it, as a prank, by releasing the gears and allowing it to roll downhill. Once the truck was in motion the defendant’s intoxicated state and limited knowledge of how to operate the gears caused the vehicle to roll downhill out of control with deadly consequences.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Gary Weil.
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