Manhattan Driver Charged with DWI, Manslaughter in Fatal NYC Pedestrian Crash

Manhattan Driver Charged with DWI, Manslaughter in Fatal NYC Pedestrian Crash. May 16, 2026.

Updated May 16, 2026
MODERATE INCIDENT
Town
Mount Sinai
Reported
Updated
Source
News Sources

Map showing incident location at 40.7800, -73.3000 Incident location, Long Island

What Happened

A 61-year-old Manhattan driver faces DWI and manslaughter charges after a Friday evening crash on the Upper West Side that killed two pedestrians and injured several others, according to CBS New York. Elvin Suarez was driving a 2019 Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 SUV northbound on Amsterdam Avenue when the vehicle veered over a concrete island and struck four pedestrians near West 109th Street.

The collision killed 46-year-old Jason Negron of Manhattan and 35-year-old Michael Saint-Hilaire of Manhattan, police said. Two other pedestrians were injured but remained in stable condition at Mount Sinai Morningside hospital, where all victims were transported following the crash.

Before striking the pedestrians, Suarez had already collided with a parked 2013 Volkswagen Jetta SUV approximately 40 feet before the 109th Street intersection but did not stop, CBS New York reported. After hitting the pedestrians, his Mercedes crashed into a parked Chevrolet van, creating what police described as “a chain reaction collision” involving four additional vehicles: a 2005 Honda CR-V, 2001 Toyota Sienna, 2005 Toyota 4Runner, and 2014 Nissan Altima.

Witness Eva Santiago told CBS News New York that the driver “was just swerving, driving really fast, and then he drove up over the median. We [saw] the car go up in the air and come down and land on everybody.” Another witness described Suarez as appearing confused and disoriented when he exited his vehicle after the crash.

A man inside the Chevrolet van was also hospitalized along with the pedestrians and Suarez, according to police reports. The NYPD arrested Suarez on multiple charges including two counts of manslaughter, three counts of vehicular manslaughter, two counts of vehicular assault, and driving while intoxicated.

Location & Road Context

The crash occurred on Amsterdam Avenue near West 109th Street in Manhattan’s Upper West Side neighborhood, a busy area with significant pedestrian traffic. Amsterdam Avenue runs north-south through Manhattan and is a major thoroughfare connecting the Upper West Side to other parts of the city, with frequent foot traffic from residents and visitors to the nearby Columbia University area.

The NYPD Highway District Collision Investigation Squad continues to investigate the incident, officials said Saturday. Suarez faces serious felony charges that could result in significant prison time if convicted, including multiple counts of manslaughter and vehicular crimes in addition to the DWI charge. The investigation remains ongoing as authorities work to determine all factors that contributed to the deadly crash.

Broader Impact

While this incident occurred in Manhattan rather than Long Island, it highlights the severe legal consequences drivers face for impaired driving that results in fatalities. In New York State, vehicular manslaughter charges can carry sentences of up to 15 years in prison, particularly when multiple deaths occur and DWI is involved.

Topics

Mount SinaiMount Sinai trafficMount Sinai accidentDWI crashpedestrian and cyclist safetyLong Island accident todayLong Island traffic todayLong IslandNY

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I do if I'm in a car accident in Mount Sinai?

Call 911 immediately if anyone is injured or if the vehicles can't be moved safely off the roadway. Stay at the scene — leaving the scene of an accident with injuries is a crime under New York Vehicle and Traffic Law §600. Exchange license, registration, and insurance information with every other driver involved. Take photographs of every vehicle, the position of the vehicles before they're moved, all license plates, the road surface, traffic signs, and any visible injuries. Get the names and phone numbers of every witness — police often won't capture bystander witnesses on their own. Seek medical attention within 24 hours even if you feel fine; soft-tissue injuries and concussions can take a day or two to present, and a delayed medical visit weakens an injury claim. In Nassau County, NCPD responds outside of incorporated villages. In Suffolk County, SCPD covers the five western towns; East End towns have their own forces. New York State Police Troop L responds to accidents on state highways across both counties.

How long do I have to file a no-fault claim in New York?

Thirty days. New York Insurance Law §5102 requires you to file a Personal Injury Protection (PIP/no-fault) application with the insurer of the vehicle you were in (or, if you were a pedestrian or cyclist, with the insurer of the striking vehicle) within 30 days of the accident. Missing the 30-day deadline can void your no-fault benefits — that's up to $50,000 in medical bills and 80% of lost wages (capped at $2,000/month) per injured person. The form is the NF-2 application; your insurance carrier provides it on request. New York no-fault is a true PIP system: it pays regardless of who caused the crash.

How long do I have to sue after a Long Island car accident?

Three years from the date of the accident for personal injury claims under CPLR §214(5). Wrongful death claims have a two-year deadline under EPTL §5-4.1. If a government entity is involved (a county vehicle, a road defect on a state highway, a defective traffic signal, a county bus), you must file a Notice of Claim within 90 days under General Municipal Law §50-e — that's a non-negotiable jurisdictional deadline, and missing it usually bars the claim entirely. Property-damage-only claims have the same three-year clock. The clock starts on the day of the accident, not the day you discover the full extent of an injury.

How do I get a copy of the police accident report?

If local police responded to the scene, the report is filed under an MV-104A form. In New York State, you can request a copy through the DMV at https://dmv.ny.gov/vehicle-safety/get-copy-accident-report (roughly $7 online, $10 by mail) once the responding agency has uploaded it to the state system, which usually takes 5-10 business days. NCPD and SCPD also have their own direct-request processes through the precinct that responded. If you weren't injured but the property damage exceeded $1,000, New York VTL §605 requires you (the driver) to file your own MV-104 report with the DMV within 10 days regardless of whether police responded.

How dangerous is This Road near Mount Sinai?

Long Island Traffic tracks every reported incident on this road across both counties — see the road profile page for the multi-year accident count, severity distribution, and the specific intersections that show repeated incident clusters. Suffolk and Nassau county roads with chronic problems are reviewed by their respective DOTs on a multi-year cadence; persistent issues are sometimes addressed with new signal phasing, lane-narrowing treatments, or — in extreme cases — a Vision Zero engineering response. Daily incident updates flow into our live-events feed every fifteen minutes.

Disclaimer: Incident information on this page is compiled from public sources including police reports, traffic agencies, and news outlets. It is provided for informational purposes only and may not reflect the most current status of this incident. Do not rely on this information for legal, insurance, or emergency decisions. For emergencies, call 911.