Bronx Man Drove with Knees Causing 4 Deaths: DA

YORKTOWN, NY — The Bronx man who was driving on the Taconic State Parkway and, police said, caused a car crash that killed four people was arraigned Friday.

Nerim Sinanovic, 34, of Fish Avenue, pleaded not guilty to the following charges:

• Four counts of criminally negligent homicide, felonies
• Reckless driving, a misdemeanor
• Driving a vehicle at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent under the conditions, a violation

Acting Westchester County District Attorney James A. McCarty said on August 15, 2015, around 2:50 p.m., Sinanovic was driving his BMW SUV north on the Taconic in Yorktown.

His wife was in the front passenger seat and their two young daughters were in the rear seats.

State Police said Sinanovic told them he took his hands off the steering wheel, turned toward the back seat and steered with his knees, which caused the vehicle to veer to the right.

His wife grabbed the wheel and SUV veered left and continued up and over the dividing center median between the north- and southbound lanes.

The SUV became airborne and crashed into a Toyota Camry traveling in the southbound lane.

The driver of the Camry was Donald Mulvaney, 63 of Brooklyn. Also in the car were Ledell Mulvaney, 61, and Katherine Mulvaney, 31.

Ledell and Katherine Mulvaney were pronounced deceased at the scene.

Donald Mulvaney died September 15, 2015 at Westchester Medical Center.

Sinanovic’s children, ages 1 and 2, were in child seats that were ejected from the vehicle.

The 2-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene.

Sinanovic, his wife and the 1-year-old child were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The BMW also struck two additional vehicles, whose occupants also sustained non-life-threatening injuries.

Police said a toxicology report indicated Sinanovic had a high level of Xanax in his system at the time of the crash.

His bail was set at $10,000, and his next court date is September 27.

If convicted of all counts, Sinanovic faces a maximum sentence of two to four years in state prison.

Image via Shutterstock.