Westchester County DA released the following statement:
BAR HOPPING LEADS TO VEHICULAR MANSLAUGHTER PLEA IN THE DEATH OF A NEW ROCHELLE WOMAN
Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore announced today that Louis Nardella, Jr. (DOB 2/10/84) of 95 Beaumont Circle, Yonkers, New York, pled guilty to the entire indictment that charged him with:
· three counts of Vehicular Manslaughter in the Second Degree, class “D” Felonies,
· two counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree, class “B” Felonies,
· one count of Tampering with Physical Evidence, a class “E” Felony,
· two counts of Driving While Intoxicated, class “A” Misdemeanors,
· one count of Driving While Ability Impaired by Drugs, a class “A” Misdemeanor,
· one count of Reckless Driving, a class “A” Misdemeanor,
· and various violations of the New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law.On May 23, 2009 at approximately 1:00 a.m. the defendant left a restaurant in New Rochelle where he had been observed drinking with friends and was on his way to another location in his car when he crossed the double yellow line on Pelham Road in the vicinity of Park Avenue in New Rochelle and struck the victim’s vehicle that was traveling in the opposite direction.
The victim, Amy Taylor, was trapped in her vehicle and had to be extricated by the New Rochelle Fire Department. She expired at the scene.
At the time that the defendant was operating his vehicle, he was intoxicated and also had his ability impaired by the ingestion of narcotics.
The defendant was arrested at the scene.
New Rochelle police executed a search warrant on the defendant’s vehicle and 71 Vicodin pills (hydrocodone) which were packaged in bundles of approximately five each for the purpose of sale were found inside the locked glove compartment.
Nardella will be sentenced on July 13th, 2010.He faces an indeterminate sentence of two to six years in state prison.
Assistant District Attorney John O’Rourke, Chief of the Major Case Bureau, prosecuted the case.