Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore announced that Tanisha Gomez (DOB 06/18/85) of 132-39 88th Street, Ozone Park, New York, pled guilty today to all counts of a nine count indictment that charged her with:
- three counts of Aggravated Vehicular Homicide, class “B” Felonies,
- one count of Manslaughter in the Second Degree, a class “C” Felony,
- one count of Vehicular Assault in the First Degree, a class “D” Felony,
- one count of Aggravated Driving While Intoxicated, an unclassified Misdemeanor in the New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law,
- two counts of Driving While Intoxicated, unclassified Misdemeanors in the New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law,
- one count of Reckless Driving, an unclassified Misdemeanor in the New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law.
On July 24, 2011 at approximately 4:31 am, the defendant struck another vehicle head on as she was driving northbound in the southbound lanes of the New England Thruway in New Rochelle.
She had been driving her vehicle in the wrong direction on the Thruway for at least 6.4 miles in New York City and Westchester County.
Her blood alcohol content (BAC) taken after the collision was determined to be a .19, more than twice the legal limit of .08.
The defendant who was alone in her car and the driver and the front seat passenger of the victim’s vehicle were all extricated from their vehicles with the assistance of emergency crews from New Rochelle who responded to the accident scene along with the New York State Police.
The front seat passenger, Reginald Lee, was later pronounced dead at Sound Shore Medical Center in New Rochelle.
The driver of the vehicle that was struck sustained serious physical injuries.
The defendant was also injured in the crash and was treated at Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx.
Bail was continued at $50,000 bond.
Sentencing will be on April 24th, 2012.
She faces a maximum sentence of eight and one third to twenty five years in state prison.
Assistant District Attorney Jonathan Strongin of the Superior Court Trial Division is prosecuting the case.