A Manhattan man has been sentenced to an indeterminate term of one-and-one-third to four years in prison for leaving the scene of a hit-and-run crash that killed an off-duty NYPD officer on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway last August. The sentencing caps a months-long investigation into a fiery wreck that shut down a stretch of the BQE and left the officer hospitalized. The victim was identified as Officer Jay Peña.
Sentence, Plea and Prosecutor's Statement
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez announced the sentence in a press release, saying the defendant's actions "demonstrate a callous disregard for those around him." The Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office identified the defendant as 31-year-old Carlos Almanzar Toribio of Manhattan.
According to prosecutors, Toribio pleaded guilty on April 21, 2026, to one count of leaving the scene of an incident in which serious injury or death results. He was sentenced by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Christopher Robles.
What Prosecutors Say Happened
Prosecutors say Toribio was driving a box truck on August 27, 2025, in the westbound lanes of the BQE near the Atlantic Avenue exit when he struck Officer Peña's motorcycle. The bike was reportedly dragged for nearly 600 feet before the truck came to a stop.
According to the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office, Toribio removed and replaced a temporary license plate after the crash. Investigators later recovered the shredded original plate at the scene and found a footpeg from the motorcycle inside the truck.
Earlier coverage of the crash, including the initial arrest and charges, was reported last August by Gothamist.
Legal Note
Leaving the scene of an incident that results in serious injury or death is classified as an E-class felony in New York and can carry a prison term. Local reporting noted that such charges are punishable by up to four years in prison, as outlined when the case first drew public attention by 1010 WINS and other outlets.
Officer Remembered
Officer Jay Peña served in the NYPD's 84th Precinct and was memorialized at services in Brooklyn, where family, friends and fellow officers gathered to mourn. Brooklyn Reporter covered the funeral and the community's reaction in the weeks following the crash, noting that police and union representatives called for accountability at the time.
The case was investigated by the NYPD Collision Investigation Squad and prosecuted by assistant district attorneys in the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Blue Zone Trial Bureau. Toribio is expected to begin serving his sentence following routine post-sentencing procedures.
