FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, July 30, 2015
Driver Indicted for Recklessly Killing His Girlfriend by Allegedly
Speeding, Blowing a Red Light and Crashing Into Parked Cars
One-Car Wreck Was Caught on Video; Victim Ejected from Passenger Seat
Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson today announced that a 20-year-old Brooklyn man was indicted for recklessly killing his girlfriend in a car crash last month when he drove through a steady red light – going the wrong way at approximately 60 mph in a 25 mph zone – and crashed into parked cars after swerving to avoid an oncoming vehicle.
District Attorney Thompson said, “This defendant flouted many traffic laws and ignored all safety rules when he caused a young woman’s death and endangered other drivers that morning. He now faces serious charges, which demonstrate that my office will vigorously prosecute reckless motorists who kill or cause injury.”
The District Attorney identified the defendant as Brandon Craigwell, 20, of 278 East 40th Street in East Flatbush, Brooklyn. He was indicted on charges of second-degree manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, first-degree reckless endangerment, reckless driving and related counts. The defendant faces a maximum sentence of five to 15 years in prison if convicted of the top count. He was arrested on July 23, 2015 and is being held on $15,000 cash bail or $30,000 bond. The indictment was filed in Brooklyn Supreme Court today and the defendant will be arraigned at a later date.
The District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, at approximately 3:53 a.m., on June 2, 2015, in the vicinity of 822 Saint John’s Place in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, the defendant was behind the wheel of a 1994 Honda Civic when he ran a red light, driving eastbound between 53 to 63 mph in a 25 mph zone. He allegedly crossed a double yellow line in the two-way road, which was wet due to rainy conditions, swerved to avoid an oncoming vehicle and caused his car to then bounce off multiple parked cars. His girlfriend, 20-year-old Shana-Kayes Khans, who was in the passenger seat, was ejected from the Honda as it came to a stop and sustained fatal injuries.
District Attorney Thompson said that the incident was captured by several video surveillance cameras. Police officers responded to the scene within minutes and observed the victim lying face down on the street. She was pronounced dead at Kings County Hospital about 30 minutes later. The medical examiner ruled the cause of death as blunt force trauma to the head and torso with internal injuries.
The investigation was conducted by Detective Edward Behringer and Detective Robert Saporito of the New York City Police Department’s Highway Division, Collision Investigation Squad.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Seth Goldman of the District Attorney’s Trial Bureau V, Orange Zone, with assistance from Assistant District Attorney Craig Esswein and Assistant District Attorney Gayle Dampf of the District Attorney’s Vehicular Crimes Bureau, under the supervision of Thomas Ridges, Orange Zone Chief.
An indictment is an accusatory instrument and not proof of a defendant’s guilt.
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