Julio Acevedo, the 44 year old suspected driver in the March 3 fatal car crash in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, was taken into custody in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania on March 6th. 21 year old Raisy Glauber, who was several months pregnant, and her 21 year old husband Nachman, were en route to a nearby emergency room for a medical examination when the fatal car crash occurred at the intersection of Kent Street and Wilson Street in Williamsburg. The Glaubers were passengers in a cab driven by Pedro Nunez Delacruz.
Mr. Delacruz was turning from Wilson Street where there is a stop sign; it is unclear if he stopped before making his turn. Mr. Acevedo who was traveling on Kent Street, which has no traffic control at the intersection, was driving a BMW at approximately 60 miles per hour. He struck the driver’s side of the cab with such force that the engine of the cab ended up in the back seat and Ms. Glauber was thrown from the vehicle. In addition to killing both Glaubers, the blunt force impact caused the baby to be delivered 3 months early by Caesarian section at Bellevue Hospital. The baby died of what was described as “extreme prematurity due to maternal blunt force injuries” by the New York City Medical Examiner’s Office on March 4th.
After the accident, Mr. Acevedo fled the scene and was charged initially with leaving the scene of an accident with serious injuries, which is a felony under the New York State Vehicle & Traffic Law. After the Glaubers and their baby died, the charges were upgraded to three counts of criminally negligent homicide, also felonies, (Criminally negligent homicide is an E felony with a maximum sentence of four years in prison) and one additional count of first degree involuntary manslaughter in the death of the baby, which is also a felony. It is uncertain if the Kings County D.A.s office will pursue the involuntary manslaughter charge against Mr. Acevedo, as it will be harder to prove.
The key evidence in the criminally negligent charges against Acevedo will involve a reconstruction of the accident by investigators to determine whether one or both drivers committed traffic infractions which led to the fatalities, including disregarding a traffic control device, speeding, and reckless driving. Additionally, officials will examine whether distracted driving such as texting, or alcohol was involved.
Acevedo may have fled the scene because he is presently facing DWI charges from a February 17, 2013 arrest in which his blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was allegedly 0.13%, well over the New York State limit of 0.08%. Additionally, according to reports, Mr. Acevedo served approximately 8 years in prison for a conviction of manslaughter in the death of a Brooklyn man known as “50 Cent”. The rap star Curtis Jackson later utilized this as his stage name.
