Yorktown Man Charged With Manslaughter In Wrong-Way Crash

YORKTOWN, NY — A Yorktown resident was arraigned Monday after he was accused of causing a fatal wrong-way, head-on collision.

Westchester County District Attorney Miriam Rocah said Mark Cope, 41, was intoxicated when he caused the crash that resulted in the death of an Ossining mother.

• Three counts of aggravated vehicular homicide, a felony.
• Second-degree manslaughter, a felony.
• Aggravated vehicular assault, a felony.
• Second-degree vehicular assault, a felony.
• Third-degree assault, a misdemeanor.
• Aggravated driving while intoxicated, a misdemeanor.
• Two counts of driving while intoxicated, a misdemeanor.
• Reckless driving, a misdemeanor.

Rocah said Cope faces a sentence ranging from a minimum of one to three years to a maximum of 8-1/3 to 25 years in state prison.

"This horrible tragedy cost a woman her life and a daughter her mother due to Mark Cope's decision to selfishly get behind the wheel of his car while intoxicated," she said.

"This is why the District Attorney's Office will continue to hold accountable reckless drivers and seek justice for victims and families who suffer this terrible heartache," Rocah said.

Prosecutors said, shortly after 9 p.m. Dec. 23, Cope drove north in the southbound lane on Route 9 in Peekskill when he crashed head-on into the car driven by Shina McClam, 32, of Ossining.

Cope had a blood alcohol content above the legal limit at the time of the collision, police said.

McClam died at the scene, according to the police. Her 6-year-old daughter and 18-year-old niece, who were passengers in the car, suffered injuries that were not life-threatening.

They were hospitalized for a week at Westchester Medical Center.

The New York State Police arrested Cope the night of the crash.

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