White Plains Firefighter Pleads Guilty in Deadly Drunk, Wrong-Way Driving Crash

White Plains firefighter Erik Refvik pleaded guilty today, July 24, to the entire 16-count indictment against him in connection with the drunk driving crash he caused that killed Port Chester resident Reyda La Madrid, Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore announced.

The White Plains resident, 35, had been charged with:

• four counts of Aggravated Vehicular Homicide, class “B” Felonies,
• one count of Manslaughter in the Second Degree, a class “C” Felony,
• one count of Vehicular Assault in the First Degree, a class “D” Felony,
• one count of Aggravated Driving While Intoxicated, a class “A” Misdemeanor,
• two counts of Driving While Intoxicated, class “A” Misdemeanors,
• one count of Driving While Ability Impaired by Drugs, a class “A” Misdemeanor,
• one count of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Seventh Degree, a class “A” Misdemeanor,
• one count of Reckless Driving, an unclassified VTL Misdemeanor,
• various Vehicle and Traffic Law Infractions.

In addition to La Madrid’s death, the crash caused serious physical injuries to Edgar Lopez, who subsequently sued one of the bars where Refvik drank before the accident.

“After spending the previous twelve hours drinking at numerous bars, this defendant operated his car in such an intoxicated and impaired condition that he drove down a major thoroughfare in the wrong direction for more than a third of a mile before colliding head-on into the victim’s vehicle and ending up crashing into the lobby of an office building. Today, as a result of his actions that night, this defendant has pled guilty to the most serious DWI charge in New York State and will face substantial time in state prison,” said DiFiore in a statement.

According to the District Attorney:

On Nov. 3, 2014, at approximately 4:30 a.m., Refvik drove his 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe at approximately 65 miles per hour, and crashed into a 2000 Honda Civic that was waiting at a traffic light. The force of the head-on collision, pushed the Honda nearly half a football field down South Lexington Avenue, killing La Madrid, the passenger, and seriously injuring Lopez, the driver.

Over a span of nearly 12 hours preceding the collision, Refvik “was seen on video drinking at a number of bars on Mamaroneck Avenue in downtown White Plains,” DiFiore said, and at the time of the collision, experts put his blood alcohol content (BAC) at .21 percent, or more than two-and-a-half times the legal limit.

“In addition, he had a cocktail of exacerbating substances in his system which consisted of cocaine, clonazepam, and bath salts,” according to DiFiore.

Refvik was arrested at the Westchester Medical Center that same day by the White Plains police.

He has been remanded until sentencing, which is scheduled for Sept. 25. At that time, he faces “an indeterminate sentence of a minimum of one to three to a maximum of eight and one third to twenty five years in prison,” according to DiFiore.

Assistant District Attorney Michelle Lopez of the Superior Court Trial Division along with Assistant District Attorney Jonathan Strongin are prosecuting the case.

Photo: Erik Refvik. Photo credit: Westchester County District Attorney’s office