Drunk Man Who Drove Into Cyclists During NYC Century Bike Tour Allegedly Had A .266 BAC; Victim Now In Coma
Sept. 13, 2017, 10:16 a.m.
The driver who left one woman in a coma after plowing his minivan into a group of cyclists this weekend had a blood alcohol concentration more than three times the legal limit.
Hours before Sunday's crash
The driver who plowed through a group of cyclists in Borough Park this weekend, leaving one woman critically injured, had a blood alcohol concentration more than three times the legal limit, according to a criminal complaint from the Brooklyn DA's office.
Witnesses say that Abel Antonio Pino Morocho struck the four cyclists as they were waiting for a red light in Borough Park on Sunday morning, and was then observed inside the Dodge minivan "exhibiting signs of intoxication...red watery eyes and an odor of alcoholic beverage on breath, and disheveled appearance." His blood alcohol concentration was recorded at .266, passing a threshold that experts say can lead to "near total loss of motor functions, little response to stimuli, inability to stand or walk, vomiting, and incontinence."
Earlier this week, a judge charged Pino Morocho, 39, with vehicular assault, driving without a license and driving while impaired. He was ordered held on $250,000 bail by Brooklyn Criminal Court Judge Joseph McCormick.
The complaint also notes that the 55-year-old victim, Nancy Pease, remained lodged under Pino Morocho's vehicle until medical personnel arrived at the scene. Pease is currently in a coma at Maimonides Hospital, where she underwent treatment for liver laceration, abdominal bleeding, traumatic brain injury, and an injury to her spleen requiring its removal.
Video shows @FDNY working on rescuing the female cyclist struck, at 12 ave 39 street pic.twitter.com/oNHejdMY5l
— New York City Alerts (@NYCityAlerts) September 10, 2017
The crash occurred during the NYC Century Bike Tour, an annual ride that draws some 6,000 cyclists to four separate routes throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn. Transportation Alternatives, a group that advocates for safer streets, hosts the event, which is intended to "showcase a carefully curated section of the city's now 1,000+ miles of bike lane networks and greenways."
"This is devastating news on what is supposed to be a joyful day of cycling in New York City," Paul Steely White, executive director of Transportation Alternatives, said in a statement following the crash. "Every New Yorker who ride a bikes deserves to be able to travel safely and free from harm. Our thoughts are with the family of the victim, and we are praying for her speedy recovery."
