South Ozone Park man sentenced to 18 years for car theft that killed vehicle owner
Queens, NY — A 19-year-old South Ozone Park man was sentenced to 18 years in prison for stealing a car in 2023 while its owner clung to the roof, causing a violent crash that left the victim in a coma for nearly a year before his death.
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Mahindra Hansraj pleaded guilty last month to first-degree manslaughter for the fatal incident. Queens Supreme Court Justice Kenneth Holder imposed the sentence, which includes five years of post-release supervision.
On the night of February 20, 2023, Hansraj and two others approached a 2006 Lexus RX parked outside 104-21 Lefferts Boulevard. The SUV’s owner, 29-year-old Tauree Thompson of Richmond Hill, was nearby when Hansraj entered the driver’s seat and the two accomplices got inside.
Thompson jumped onto the roof of the vehicle in an attempt to stop the theft. Hansraj sped away, running a red light and swerving down Lefferts Boulevard until he crashed into a fire hydrant. The impact threw Thompson from the roof, causing a traumatic brain injury.
Thompson remained in a coma for 11 months before dying in January 2024. The medical examiner ruled his death the result of blunt force trauma from the crash.
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Prosecutors said Hansraj’s reckless attempt to steal the car directly led to the death of Thompson, who fought to protect his property in the moments before the crash.
The case was prosecuted by the Queens DA’s Homicide Bureau.
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Key Points
- Mahindra Hansraj, 19, of South Ozone Park, sentenced to 18 years for first-degree manslaughter
- Victim Tauree Thompson died after 11 months in a coma following the February 2023 car theft and crash
- Hansraj crashed the stolen Lexus into a fire hydrant while Thompson was clinging to the roof