An unlicensed driver who crashed into a group of cyclists riding in the NYC Century Bike Tour was wasted on margaritas and Coors Light.
An unlicensed drunken driver who crashed his van into a group of cyclists in Brooklyn riding in the NYC Century Bike Tour was wasted on margaritas and Coors Light, prosecutors said Monday.
Abel Antonio Pina-Morocho had a blood alcohol level of .266 — over three times the legal limit — after driving into the cyclists Sunday morning, leaving 55-year-old Nancy Pease in a coma, prosecutors said.
Brooklyn Criminal Court Judge Joseph McCormick ordered Pina-Morocho be held on $250,000 bail for vehicular assault, drunken driving and driving without a license.
Authorities said the driver first knocked over a cyclist, Marilyn Christie, before plowing into the group, injuring five people total.
When authorities arrived at the scene of the crash, Pease was lodged under Pina-Morocho’s van, prosecutors said.
» (Pease) suffered serious physical injuries which include liver lacerations, intra-abdominal bleeding, traumatic brain injury … and had to have her spleen removed, » Assistant District Attorney Wilfredo Cotto said at the driver’s arraignment.
Pina-Morocho had bloodshot eyes, a “disheveled appearance” and reeked of alcohol, prosecutors said.
The driver told detectives that he’ d been drinking, had no license and was looking for a parking space when he crashed into the cyclists stopped at 12th Ave. and 39th St. in Borough Park during the popular bike tour.
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He said he’ d had a few margaritas around 2 a.m., according to Cotto.
Police found a can of Coors light in the van, Cotto added.
Pina-Morocho’s attorney Leah Martin said her client understood the seriousness of the charges.
“This is his first contact with the criminal justice system. He lives with his sister and works full time in construction, » Martin said.
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Pina-Morocho faces up to seven years in prison if convicted of first-degree vehicular assault.
Last week Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez and Assemblyman Joseph Lentol proposed increasing the penalties for drunk drivers and hit-and-runs.
Around 6,000 cyclists participate in the bike tour, which is organized by Transportation Alternatives. The group advocates for safer streets for pedestrians and cyclists.
