A Bronx man, Victor Ramos, has faced the music for his reckless behavior behind the wheel that led to the death of a 67-year-old pedestrian, Mohammed Rahman, in Castle Hill. He's been served a sentence that could keep him behind bars for up to four years, this was confirmed in a recent announcement made by Bronx District Attorney's Office. Driving nearly double the speed limit, while impaired by cannabis, Ramos struck Rahman, who was crossing within an unmarked crosswalk with the right of way; the tragic incident unfolded on a September evening in 2023.
After a plea of guilty to second-degree Vehicular Manslaughter earlier this year, Ramos has now received his punishment from Bronx Supreme Court Justice Joseph McCormack, Bronx District Attorney Clark stated that, "The defendant had no business getting behind the wheel of a car. As a result of his selfish decision, a man’s life was cut short," and emphasized that Ramos is now being held accountable with this sentence. Ramos had remained at the scene following the fatal collision and was found under the influence of marijuana, which he admitted to consuming prior to the crash in addition to that, a check revealed that his license was suspended at the time of the accident, as reported by the Bronx District Attorney's Office.
The case was helmed by Deputy Chief Michelle Villaverde of Trial Bureau 40, alongside her supervisory team which included Aaron Kaplan, Jeffrey Kimelman of the General Crimes Bureau and Vehicular Crimes Unit, with James Brennan and Theresa Gottlieb overseeing as Deputy and Chief of the Trial Division, respectively. Additional acknowledgments were given to Meredith Holtzman, and Trial Preparation Assistants Jamece Hill and Rebecca Klestzick, as well as Crime Victims Advocate Brandon Leonard for their roles in bringing this case to a close.
Fulfilling their duties, NYPD Detective Kevin Long of the Collision Investigation Squad and Police Officer Russell Lerch of the NYPD Highway Patrol were recognized for their investigative efforts by District Attorney Clark.
