Man Found Guilty Of Killing Engaged Nassau Couple In 2018 Crash

The driver that caused a 2018 crash on Nassau Expressway that killed an engaged couple weeks before their wedding was found guilty of homicide on Tuesday.

Rahmel Watkins, 36, of Brooklyn, was convicted of two counts of criminally negligent homicide, four counts of second-degree assault, second-degree reckless endangerment and reckless driving. He was acquitted of two counts of second-degree manslaughter.

Watkins is due back in court for sentencing on Nov. 1. He faces up to life in prison.

“A young couple was tragically killed because Rahmel Watkins chose to drive recklessly at speeds of 100 miles an hour,” said Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas. “While this defendant is going to spend many years behind bars, the Levin and Kaplan families will have to spend the rest of their lives without Yisroel and Elisheva. May their memories be a blessing.”

Also charged in this case was Zakiyyah Steward, 26, also of Brooklyn. She pleaded guilty to the indictment in its entirety on Feb. 26. She is expected to be sentenced on Oct. 7 to three to nine years in prison.

Singas said that on April 4 at around 1:40 a.m., Watkins and Stewerd were driving north on Nassau Expressway in Inwood heading to a casino in Queens, Watkins was driving a 2010 BMW 550 GT recklessly and very fast when his car crossed the double-yellow line and struck a 2017 Nissan Altima head-on, which was being driven by Yisroel Levin with his fiance, Elisheva Kaplan, in the passenger seat. The couple was returning home from a Passover gathering.

The Altima burst into flames in the crash and was pushed backward, killing the couple. Watkins then struck a silver Infiniti being driven by James Hamilton, fracturing his spine and causing knee and ankle injuries as well.

At the same time Watkins was driving, Stewerd was driving a 2016 Hyundai Genesis next to him at the same rate of speed, and she was drunk and high on marijuana. Singas said that Steward's car also hit Levin's Altima.

Both Steward and Watkins suffered only minor injuries in the crash.