Ex-NJ Cop Sentenced For Killing Nurse While Drunk Driving: Prosecutor

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — A Bloomfield resident and former Newark police officer was sentenced to five years in prison for fatally striking a 29-year-old nurse while driving drunk two years ago, prosecutors announced Wednesday evening.

Louis A. Santiago, 26, hit and killed Damian Dymka, of Garfield, who was walking on the shoulder of Garden State Parkway around 3 a.m. on Nov. 1, 2021 according to the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office.

Authorities said Santiago was off-duty and intoxicated at the time of the collision. He was driving a Honda Accord northbound on the Garden State Parkway near exit 151. Santiago failed to maintain his lane and traveled on the right shoulder of the highway, striking Dymka.

Santiago’s cousin, Albert Guzman, was in the car with him at the time.

Prosecutors alleged that after striking Dymka, neither Santiago nor Guzman called 911 or rendered aid. Instead, they returned to the scene multiple times before loading Dymka into the Honda and driving away.

Santiago then took the body to his family home in Bloomfield, where he, his mother and Guzman discussed what to do, authorities said.

Eventually, Santiago returned to the scene. Here’s what happened next, according to the prosecutor’s office:

“Santiago’s father [Luis Santiago], then a lieutenant in the Newark Police Department, learned of the crash from his son in person and traveled to the scene. He failed to contact 911 for approximately 40 minutes after learning of the incident. He called 911 only after arriving at the scene and seeing that his son was not there. When the state police arrived, just after the younger Santiago returned to the scene, Luis Santiago made misleading statements to the responding trooper. Shortly after arriving, state police discovered Dymka’s remains in the back seat of the Honda.”

SENTENCING

On Wednesday, prosecutors announced that Santiago has been sentenced to five years in prison. He previously pled guilty to Reckless Vehicular Homicide, Desecrating Human Remains, Official Misconduct, and Driving Under the Influence.

Santiago must serve the five years without parole. Once released, he must also serve three years of post-release parole supervision, prosecutors said.

His father, Luis Santiago, was sentenced to two years of probation for Obstructing the Administration of Law for false statements he made to the New Jersey State Police early in the investigation, prosecutors said.

Albert Guzman, Louis Santiago’s cousin, was admitted into the Pre-Trial Intervention diversionary program conditioned on a plea related to a Conspiracy to Hinder Prosecution, authorities said.

As a condition of the convictions, both of the Santiagos will not be allowed to hold any office or public employment in the state of New Jersey again.

Santiago apologized to Dymka’s family at a court hearing, during which the victim’s father said he “forgives” him and hopes he gets a chance to fix his life, NBC News reported.

Assistant prosecutor Adam Wells, who handled the case from the outset, credited the New Jersey State Police Fatal Accident Investigation Unit and detectives of Bloomfield Station CIO for their work investigating the case.

“The crash and the death of Mr. Dymka was a senseless and avoidable tragedy, but the coverup, as is so often the case, was worse and more troubling than the crime,” Wells said.

Wells also commended Dymka’s family, who faced a “tremendous loss” with “wisdom and love.”

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