Queens NY driver accused of DWI causes events that leaves friend in critical condition.
A Queens NY driver accused of DWI caused a chain-reaction crash that left her friend in critical condition.
Samantha Maloney, 22 refused to comment on the early Saturday collision that sent friend Victoria Garrett hurtling off the elevated Whitestone Expressway and onto the roadway 25 feet below.
A prosecutor said Garrett is not expected to survive.
Maloney admitted having at least one vodka tonic at the Central lounge in Astoria before hopping behind the wheel of her 2014 Nissan around 3:30 a.m., authorities said.
Authorities said she initially refused a breath test and consented six hours later when she still registered a .095 blood-alcohol level. The legal limit for driving is .08.
The accident happened after her car had a flat tire, at which point she phoned Garrett asking for help. Garrett rushed to her friend’s aid, and an off-duty EMT driving home from work also pulled over to help.
Maloney begged the EMT, Christopher Pierce, not to call 911, sources said. An off-duty NYPD lieutenant then crashed his car into Pierce’s, sending Garrett flying.
The off-duty cop underwent a breath test at the scene and a hospital blood test, sources said. He registered a 0.02 blood-alcohol level and wasn’t charged.
Maloney was charged with misdemeanor DWI in Queens and could face upgraded charges, said Assistant District Attorney Crystal Igneri.
“She set into motion a chain of events which led Victoria Garrett to the scene — and she’s likely to die at this point,” the prosecutor said.
Maloney’s lawyer, Naira Grigoryan, said the unidentified cop was to blame, asserting, “He hit the car which hit her friend. He should be charged, not my client.”
Maloney’s arrest comes less than a week after a Long Island man was sent to prison for up to 12 years in the death of a cop, who was struck and killed responding to his DWI crash.
