BMW driver who plowed through red light denies responsibility for deaths of 2 NYC pedestrians

Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News
Updated ·2 min read
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A BMW driver charged in the deaths of an Inwood barber and his client mowed down during a multi-car collision denied responsibility for the horrific crash Monday.

Leandro Diaz-Ramirez, 28, was indicted by a grand jury on two counts of manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide and other related offenses for the Aug. 3 smashup that resulted in the deaths of the men as they walked together after a late-night haircut. He pleaded not guilty to all charges at his arraignment in State Supreme Court in Manhattan.

Diaz-Ramirez T-boned a Subaru when he sped through a red light at the intersection of Sherman Ave. and 207th St. in Inwood at around 4 a.m., going 59 mph in a 25 mph zone, according to prosecutors. The Subaru driver, who had the green light, lost control and crashed into two parked cars before jumping the curb, crushing Joel Adames, 31, and David Fernandez, 40.

Adames and Fernandez were rushed to the hospital, but they could not be saved.

The two men had just left the barbershop where Fernandez worked and had cut Adames’ hair, community members told the Daily News in the wake of the crash. Adames worked as a delivery driver.

“As alleged, this reckless speeding and driving ended in tragedy,” said Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg on Monday. “Manhattanites should not be killed by drivers when they are simply walking in their neighborhood. We will continue to protect the safety of pedestrians and drivers on our streets.”

The Subaru driver broke his pelvis and several ribs in the collision. After Diaz-Ramirez was taken to Harlem Hospital, he told a detective he’d been going 40 mph and had last smoked marijuana at 8 p.m., eight hours before the crash.

He denied drinking and said a white van had quickly turned in front of him when the light was changing, according to court records obtained by The News on Monday.

The charges against Diaz-Ramirez carry up to 15 years in state prison. His lawyer declined to comment.

The collision rattled Inwood community members, who said speeding cars are a frequent source of anxiety for residents of the upper Manhattan neighborhood.

According to Vision Zero data, traffic fatalities remain on the rise in the city, with 174 New Yorkers killed in vehicle crashes since Jan. 1. Pedestrians and cyclists made up more than 50% of those victims.