An unlicensed teen BMW driver accused of killing an on-duty Yonkers police sergeant in a head-on crash last December has been charged in the fatal wreck, prosecutors said Monday.
The 16-year-old boy was indicted on a criminally negligent homicide charge over the death of Detective Sgt. Frank Gualdino, a 24-year veteran of the Yonkers Police Department who was nine months away from retiring at the time of the crash.
The youngster surrendered to police Monday after the indictment was handed down Friday, authorities said.
“To say that this situation has been painful and difficult from day one through today is an understatement, although this is the first step towards closure for all involved,” Yonkers Police Commissioner Christopher Sapienza said in a statement.
The teen allegedly drove his BMW M5 Competition into oncoming traffic on Tuckahoe Road at the Sprain Brook Parkway overpass in the Westchester city before colliding with the Gualdino’s unmarked police car and a Bee-Line bus, authorities said.
The 53-year-old married father of two was taken to Jacobi Medical Center where he died.
The young driver, who was critically injured in the crash, only had his learner’s permit for about two weeks when the crash happened, cops previously said. He was also allegedly speeding with a car he borrowed from a relative, cops also said last year.
He was not identified Monday because he’s a minor.
“My Office has been committed throughout this nearly year-long investigation to seeking accountability in this tragic and devastating incident that took the life of Detective Sgt. Gualdino.” Westchester County District Attorney Mimi Rocah said in a statement.
The defendant was arraigned in front of Judge Helen Blackwood in the youth part of criminal court and his bail was set at $5,000 cash or $10,000 bond. His next court date is set for Dec. 15.
“The consequences of the irresponsible action of the driver resulted in a loss for our Yonkers Police Department, our City, and most importantly, the Gualdino family,” Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano said in a statement.