Lower East Side waterfront, Manhattan · July 4, 2024, evening
A 46-year-old driver who drove a pickup truck into a crowd celebrating the Fourth of July on the Lower East Side, killing four people, was convicted of second-degree murder and aggravated vehicular homicide and sentenced to 24 years to life in prison.
What happened
According to the Manhattan District Attorney and ABC7, Daniel Hyden had been drinking on the evening of July 4, 2024, and was turned away from a party boat and escorted from the area by police. He then drove his pickup into a group of people gathered for the holiday in a waterfront park near Pier 36, pinning several people beneath the truck. His BAC was .17. Hector Moreno, Lucille Pinkney and her son Herman Pinkney were killed, and Lilly Ruiz, 30, died five days later. Seven other people were injured, including an 11-year-old.
The verdict and the sentence
In November 2025 a Manhattan jury convicted Mr. Hyden of four counts of second-degree murder, one count of aggravated vehicular homicide, and multiple counts of assault. On January 16, 2026, he was sentenced to 24 years to life.
What this case shows
Most fatal DWI cases in New York are charged as vehicular manslaughter or aggravated vehicular homicide, crimes built on intoxication. Murder in the second degree is different. Under the depraved indifference theory, prosecutors must prove the driver acted with a depraved indifference to human life, recklessly creating a grave risk of death. That is a high bar, and most DWI cases, even tragic ones, do not meet it. Here the evidence of what happened before the crash, and of driving into a crowd, allowed the People to charge and prove it, which is why the sentence carries a life maximum.
It is the most extreme example on this site, and it is here for one reason: to show how far the charges in a Manhattan DWI case can climb depending on the facts.
Related: felony DWI · will I go to jail for a DWI?
This article is drawn from public court records, official releases and news reports, and is provided for general information only. Nothing here predicts the outcome of any other case, and nothing here is legal advice.