Williamsburg driver charged with involuntary manslaughter in fatal crash that killed his passenger: DA • Brooklyn Paper

A man was charged Tuesday in Brooklyn Supreme Court with manslaughter in connection with a fatal crash in Williamsburg in which he allegedly struck an MTA bus and fled the scene after one of his passengers was thrown from the back seat.

Michael Rivera, 31, of Williamsburg is also accused of speeding and running multiple red lights before the Feb. 26 crash that killed 33-year-old Alex Caba-Gutierrez. Rivera appeared before Judge Herbert Moses on May 21 on an eight-count indictment.

“As alleged, this defendant’s extreme recklessness behind the wheel cost the life of an innocent person and put many more in danger,” Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said after the arraignment. “Brooklyn deserves safe streets, and I am committed to holding accountable any driver who endangers our community through such dangerous and criminal behavior.”

The vehicle crashed into an MTA bus after Rivera allegedly ran a red light at the intersection of Lorimer Street and Harrison Avenue. The force of the impact caused the vehicle to spin out of control, hit the sidewalk and crash into a CitiBike rack.

Caba-Gutierrez was thrown from the back seat of the Mercedes onto the street, where first responders later found him with serious injuries.

According to the DA’s office, surveillance footage allegedly shows Rivera exiting his vehicle and walking toward Caba-Gutierrez, where he lay on the sidewalk before leaving him at the scene.

EMS took Caba-Gutierrez to NYC Health+Hospitals/Bellevue, where he was pronounced dead two hours later. It was his 33rd birthday.

The driver of the MTA bus and several passengers were also taken to the hospital after also sustaining multiple injuries.

Rivera was arrested in connection with the fatal May 1 hit-and-run accident and charged with second-degree manslaughter, second-degree assault, involuntary manslaughter, leaving the scene of an accident without permission, second-degree reckless endangerment, reckless driving, excessive speed and failure to obey traffic signals.

Judge Moses ordered Rivera to return to court on July 23. If convicted of the highest charge, he could face up to 15 years in prison.