Former New York Sergeant Sentenced to Up to 12 Years for Crash That Killed Dominican Man
A former New York Police Department sergeant has been sentenced to up to 12 years in prison after driving drunk the wrong way and hitting a Dominican man's car head-on.
Key points
- The sentence is between four and 12 years in prison.
- The victim, Manuel Boitel, was 61 and worked as a doorman in Manhattan.
- Tiffany Howell had at least 0.18% blood alcohol content.
- Howell gave up her right to appeal the sentence.
A former New York Police Department sergeant has been sentenced to between four and 12 years in prison for a car crash that killed Dominican national Manuel Boitel, 61, in Westchester County.
New York Attorney General Letitia James said Tiffany Howell, 48, received the sentence on October 28, after pleading guilty to aggravated vehicular homicide and second-degree manslaughter.
The crash happened on the night of January 22, 2026, on the Taconic State Parkway. According to authorities, Howell was off duty and driving south in the lanes meant for northbound traffic when she struck Boitel's car head-on. The investigation found she had at least 0.18% blood alcohol content. Boitel was taken to a hospital, where he died shortly after midnight.
Boitel worked as a doorman in a residential building in Manhattan and was heading home to Peekskill when the collision occurred, according to local media.
At the sentencing hearing, the victim's relatives expressed outrage over his death and questioned the length of the sentence.
The prosecutor's office also said Howell's driver's license has been revoked and that she waived her right to appeal the sentence.