Far Rockaway Woman Sentenced to 18 Years for Fatal Hit-and-Run Manslaughter in Queens

A Far Rockaway woman, Kiani Phoenix, has been sentenced to 18 years in prison after pleading guilty to first-degree manslaughter for the death of 59-year-old Milton Storch. On a tragic day in 2022, Storch was struck by Phoenix's vehicle while he sat on a sidewalk on his walker. The Queens District Attorney's office reported the incident occurred following a heated altercation between Phoenix and another woman outside a local deli.

According to the District Attorney Melinda Katz, Phoenix "made the deadly decision to get behind the wheel and aim her vehicle at another woman to settle their dispute." In a statement obtained by the Queens District Attorney's office, Katz elaborated on the dire consequences of Phoenix's actions, which inadvertently took the life of an innocent man. After the altercation was seemingly diffused, Phoenix got into her car, backed up sharply, then accelerated forward onto the sidewalk, narrowly missing the intended target but striking Storch instead.

The District Attorney's release details how on August 27, 2022, at around 7 a.m., Phoenix encountered a 27-year-old woman at a deli at 601 Beach 20th Street. An argument ensued, which escalated into a physical confrontation outside the store. Witnesses, including Storch, were present, and some tried to intervene. Following the quarrel, Phoenix entered her Honda Accord. In an attempt to hit her adversary, she instead fatally injured Storch and subsequently struck another pedestrian while reversing before fleeing the scene.

Storch was rushed to a local hospital but was pronounced dead upon arrival. The other injured pedestrian received treatment for back and hip injuries. Supreme Court Justice Kenneth Holder handed down Phoenix's sentence yesterday, November 10, which includes five years of post-release supervision, as announced by the Queens District Attorney's office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Ryan Nicolosi of the Homicide Bureau, under the oversight of Assistant District Attorneys John Kosinski, Bureau Chief, and Deputies Karens Ross and Jonathan Selkowe, as well as Executive Assistant District Attorney for Major Crimes Shawn Clark.