WILLIAMSBURG, Brooklyn – An off-duty NYPD officer is charged with driving drunk and slamming into a group of people in Williamsburg.
NYPD officer Nicolas Badka. Accused of driving drunk, plowing thru crowd, killing man in Williamsburg. pic.twitter.com/d1HZVyN2lN
— CeFaan Kim (@CeFaanKim) July 17, 2016
Friday night turned into a nightmare for a group of friends, when a speeding SUV lost control, jumped the curb and barreled straight toward them.
Off duty #NYPD officer charged with DWI after SUV jumps curb. 1 dead, 3 injured. Additional charges pending. pic.twitter.com/NlnWLQITT1
— Marcus Solis (@MarcusSolis7) July 16, 2016
“It looked like the SUV swerved to not hit the cars across the street that were parked, and ran into the apartment building, and there was a group of like 8 people,” said eyewitness Jaminah King.
Chaos followed as people came not only to help the injured, but prevent the driver, later identified as an off-duty police officer Nicolas Badka, from leaving the scene. Badka was charged with manslaughter Saturday.
“Don’t let him get out, he’s going to run away.” Moments after off duty #NYPD cop allegedly hit 4 ppl while drunk. pic.twitter.com/SFxtXsYuyn
— Marcus Solis (@MarcusSolis7) July 16, 2016
“I see this girl lying on the floor, so I lift her head up because she was bleeding from her head and her leg,” said Angie Zielinski, “I ran across the street, and I called 911, and the driver jumped from the driver’s side to the passenger side, and there was a man who was holding the door of the SUV shut to not let him out.”
Badka was a rookie officer who was assigned to Manhattan Transit Task Force. He was not working Friday night, but was scheduled to report for duty just four hours after the tragic crash.
“He has been arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated,” said NYPD Inspector Scott Shanley.
Police confirm Badka refused a breathalyzer test at the scene.
Two victims were taken to Bellevue Hospital in serious condition, and a third was taken to Cornell in serious condition.
