Crime & Safety
New Rochelle Cop Pleads Guilty To Killing Friend In Crash
Kyreakedes was driving drunk when he crashed his car, which resulted in the death of a friend.
NEW ROCHELLE, NY — The off-duty New Rochelle police officer who was driving drunk, causing a crash that killed a friend, pleaded guilty in court. Westchester County District Attorney Anthony A. Scarpino Jr. Friday said that Harry Kyreakedes, 27, was charged with first-degree vehicular manslaughter, a felony, and aggravated driving while intoxicated per se, a misdemeanor, in the death of Isaac Ward, 28.
Scarpino said, on Jan. 1, Kyreakedes was out drinking with friends, including Ward, at a bar in Dobbs Ferry. After a period of time, they drove to White Plains to go to another bar.
On Jan. 2, just before 3 a.m., Kyreakedes, Ward and two other men left, taking two separate vehicles. Ward got into the passenger seat of the Kyreakedes’ SUV.
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Kyreakedes initially drove southbound on Mamaroneck Avenue and eventually headed back northbound at which point he crashed into a parking meter, a stop sign and a tree in front of the CVS located at 325 Mamaroneck Ave.
The White Plains Police and Fire Departments responded to the scene. Ward had sustained serious injuries and was unresponsive. He was given CPR and was then taken to White Plains Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
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Kyreakedes was pinned in the driver’s compartment and needed to be extricated from the vehicle. He suffered extensive injuries to one of his legs.
He was taken to Westchester Medical Center where samples of his blood were obtained via a court order and search warrant. Analysis of those samples showed that the blood alcohol content at the time of the crash was more than 0.18 percent.
Kyreakedes will be sentenced on Jan. 5, 2018.
While the City of New Rochelle did not say what the current employment status of Kyreakedes is, City Manager Charles Strome III said, “Now that the criminal matter has been concluded, the city will take appropriate disciplinary action.”
EDITOR'S NOTE: This article has been modified from its original version to add a comment from a New Rochelle city official.
Image via Shutterstock.
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