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Driver Charged With Manslaughter and DWI After Upper West Side Sidewalk Crash Kills 2

Neighbors say the suspect lived two blocks from the scene, knowing several victims.

Overview

  • The crash on Friday evening on Amsterdam Avenue near West 109th Street killed Michael Saint-Hilaire, 35, and Jason Negron, 46, and left three others injured.
  • Police arrested 61-year-old Elvin Suarez on charges that include manslaughter, vehicular manslaughter and driving while intoxicated.
  • Authorities say Suarez appeared impaired, with local reporting noting he tested above New York’s legal alcohol limit for driving.
  • Investigators say his Mercedes hit a parked 1999 Chevrolet Astro with a 51-year-old inside, which then struck four other parked cars before pedestrians were hit.
  • Family and friends say Saint-Hilaire, a father of triplets, was waiting for his mother’s bus minutes before the impact, while colleagues remember Negron as a beloved doorman; police say the incident did not appear intentional and remains under review.