A Springfield Gardens teen, and his parents, were all charged in connection to the death of a 14-year-old girl who was ejected from a car that crashed into a parked UPS truck at more than 100 miles an hour.
Photo by Lloyd Mitchell
A Springfield Gardens teenager and his parents were criminally charged in connection with the death of a 14-year-old girl who was a passenger in his car when he crashed into a parked UPS truck while allegedly speeding at more than 100 miles an hour, according to the Queens District Attorney’s Office.
The victim, Fortune Williams, was ejected from the BMW and was pronounced dead at the scene on North Conduit Avenue near 160th Street in 2022. The unlicensed 16-year-old driver of the BMW, a gift from his father, is charged with manslaughter and reckless driving. His parents, Deo Ramnarine, 43, and Sean Smith, 39, of Springfield Gardens, are charged with endangering the welfare of a child and permitting unlicensed operation, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced on Dec. 5.
The 16-year-old driver had a junior license which allowed him to drive when accompanied by a licensed driver at least 21 years of age. The defendant was alone in the car with the victim at the time of the collision that sheared the vehicle in half, according to the DA’s office. Prior to the fatal collision, in November 2022, witnesses from the defendant’s school began seeing him regularly driving the same BMW to and from school unaccompanied by an adult. He was ticketed in November 2022 for driving without a license and driving while using a portable electronic device. His name is being withheld because of his age.
The now-17-year-old was arraigned Dec. 5 in Queens Supreme Court and faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
According to the charges, on May 17, 2022, at approximately 6:38 pm, the defendant was driving a red 2005 BMW 325I westbound on North Conduit Avenue near 160th Street at a speed calculated at 101 miles per hour. The posted…
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