AndrewBlakeNew York, NY – A New York Police Department sergeant was allegedly drunk when he flipped his car in a crash that killed a police officer riding with him, authorities said.
Sgt. Randolph Price is charged with manslaughter in the death of Officer Bianca Bennett, 27, who was killed in the Feb. 1, 2016 crash, according to the New York Daily News.
Sgt. Price, 33, and Officer Bennett were in the vehicle on their way home from the firing range with other officers when Sgt. Price lost control of his muscle car, hit a tree stump and flipped the car, which started a fire.
Sgt. Price was pulled out of the fire by two other police officers who came across the collision on their way home from the firing range, the New York Daily News reported.
The Bronx prosecutors indicted Price on Jan. 4 for vehicular manslaughter and drunk driving.
Tests taken at the hospital showed the Sgt. Price had a blood alcohol content of .12, which is over the legal limit of .08, authorities said.
Officer Bennett was on the force for 10 months before her death, police said. Her relatives said she was two months away from marrying her fiancé Michael Coleman.
The New York Daily News reported that Sgt. Price suffered extensive injuries to his legs from the crash. Sgt. Price pleaded not guilty to the charges on Jan. 4. He was released on $100,000 bail.
“(Price) allegedly was drinking and got behind the wheel of a car that crashed, flipped over and burst into flames,” Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clarke said. “A young officer who was his passenger died at the scene, her promising life cut short. This tragedy is all the more senseless because it was avoidable.”