Mourners gathered over the weekend to pay their respects to Francisco Andres Guzman Parra, a 31-year-old who tragically lost his life in a fiery car crash in Upper Manhattan. According to details reported by CBS New York, Guzman Parra was involved in a police chase on the Henry Hudson Parkway before crashing on Dyckman Street in Inwood. The aftermath of the incident has left the family yearning for clarity and justice, with allegations that the pursuing NYPD officers returned to their station without reporting the crash.
The firefighters later arrived to extinguish a car fire, only to discover Guzman Parra deceased within the vehicle. His sisters, Shakira and Francis Guzman, are demanding answers. "We're asking for updates. We need updates. We need to know what happened," Shakira Guzman told CBS New York. They believe that their brother's final moments and the lack of immediate action from the officers merit a thorough investigation. Their attorney, Jeremy Feigenbaum, asserted they have found nothing so far to substantiate the officers' claim that they lost sight of the vehicle.
Despite attempts to obtain more details, as of Saturday afternoon, News 12 has not confirmed with the police what occurred after the accident. Still, they reported that the two officers involved have been suspended pending a review. The family's quest for closure intertwines with their need for understanding the circumstances surrounding the crash. "We're waiting," said Shakira Guzman, according to a News 12 interview. "We need answers. I think that is part of closure for us, as well, and part of our grieving process – and that's something we don't have yet."
Complicating the grievance process for Guzman Parra's family is the knowledge that the incident is still being scrutinized. Patrick Hendry, the head of the Police Benevolent Association, was quoted in the CBS New York suggesting that the officers involved were attending to "chronic crime conditions" when they lost sight of Guzman Parra's vehicle. The NYPD, along with the New York Attorney General's office, continues to investigate the case. Meanwhile, an entire community waits alongside the Guzman family, hoping that accountability and truth will prevail in an often murky sea of protocol and procedure.
