QUEENS, NY – A 25-year-old man, Errick Persaud, has been sentenced to a prison term of four to 12 years for the manslaughter of a New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) worker. Persaud pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter following an incident in July 2023 where he drove under the influence of alcohol, resulting in a fatal accident.
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz conveyed the seriousness of the situation, asserting that Persaud’s reckless decision to drive while intoxicated led to an unnecessary loss of life. He was held responsible for the death of 36-year-old DEP employee Michael Rodriguez and was described as a threat to public safety during the early hours of the tragedy.
The fatal incident unfolded on July 6, 2023, around 2:30 am, when Persaud ran through the red light at the junction of Atlantic Avenue and Lefferts Boulevard in Richmond Hill, Queens. Surveillance footage captured his black Mercedes-Benz striking a DEP vehicle at high velocity. The collision caused the truck to overturn and ejected Rodriguez, who was a passenger, resulting in critical injuries that eventually led to his death at a local hospital. The truck’s driver sustained minor injuries.
Source: Shore News Network
