Crime & Safety
Driver In Fiery Mamaroneck Crash That Killed 2 Is Indicted
The Pelham woman faces several charges in connection with the April accident that took the lives of 2 New Rochelle women.
MAMARONECK, NY — A crash that united Sound Shore communities in grief following the death of two young women, has now resulted in a slew of felony charges for the then 21-year-old who was driving.
Pelham resident Bethzy Higueros was indicted for driving recklessly while intoxicated and causing a crash, which resulted in the death of two passengers in the car, Westchester District Attorney Miriam Rocah announced this week.
Higueros was indicted by a Westchester County Grand Jury for two counts of aggravated vehicular homicide, two counts of vehicular manslaughter in the first degree, two counts of manslaughter in the second degree and two counts of criminally negligent homicide, all felonies. The 22-year-old was also charged with two counts of driving while intoxicated and reckless driving, both misdemeanors. Additionally, she was charged with unlicensed driving, an infraction.
Find out what's happening in Larchmont-Mamaroneckfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Higueros was arraigned on Dec. 9.
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Find out what's happening in Larchmont-Mamaroneckfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
In the early morning hours of April 11, Higueros was driving over 80 mph on Boston Post Road in Mamaroneck when she drove onto the sidewalk and crashed into a utility pole, shearing off both passenger side doors, according to police. The car then caught on fire.
Higueros had a blood alcohol content of .17 at the time of the collision, according to a statement from the DA.
New Rochelle resident Veronica Diaz Ayala, 20, died at the scene. New Rochelle resident Itzel Oliveros, 19, was taken to the hospital, where she died approximately two months later.
The driver survived the crash in large part thanks to police and good Samaritans who witnessed the crash and risked their lives to help the victims.
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The Village of Mamaroneck Police Department and the Village of Larchmont Police Department responded to the scene. The Town of Mamaroneck Police Department, with assistance from the Westchester County Department of Public Safety, investigated the incident.
The charges against the defendant are merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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