BROOKLYN, N.Y. – A Manhattan man has been sentenced to an indeterminate prison term of one-and-one-third to four years for leaving the scene of a fatal crash that killed an off-duty NYPD officer on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office announced Friday.
Carlos Almanzar Toribio, 31, pleaded guilty on April 21 to one count of leaving the scene of an incident resulting in serious injury or death. Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Christopher Robles imposed the sentence Friday.
Officer struck while riding motorcycle
According to prosecutors, the crash occurred at approximately 8:45 a.m. on Aug. 27, 2025, near Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn. The off-duty officer was riding his personal motorcycle westbound on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway when a box truck driven by Toribio struck the motorcycle, forcing both the rider and bike underneath the truck.
Investigators said the officer was ejected onto the roadway while the truck continued for nearly 600 feet, dragging the motorcycle before stopping. The victim was transported to NYU Langone Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said, “The defendant’s actions demonstrate a callous disregard for those around him. Despite knowing he caused a serious traffic incident, the defendant left the scene.”
Investigation led detectives to suspect
Rather than remain at the scene, prosecutors said Toribio attempted to remove the motorcycle from beneath the truck by hand before driving over it and continuing westbound.
Detectives assigned to the NYPD Collision Investigation Squad used continuous surveillance video to trace the truck to the Gravesend section of Brooklyn, where Toribio was arrested. According to the District Attorney’s Office, investigators determined he had removed the truck’s temporary license plate and replaced it with another one after the crash.
A court-authorized search of the truck recovered a footpeg from the victim’s motorcycle inside the cab. Prosecutors said surveillance footage also showed the defendant removing the motorcycle part from the truck’s rear tires.
Sentence brings case to conclusion
Gonzalez said, “While nothing can replace Officer Pena or fully heal the grief and loss of his family and friends, I hope this prison sentence provides some sense of closure. My Office will continue working tirelessly to ensure that Brooklyn’s streets are safe for motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians.”
The case was investigated by the NYPD’s Collision Investigation Squad and prosecuted by the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Blue Zone Trial Bureau and Street Safety Bureau.
Why it matters
Leaving the scene of a crash involving serious injury or death is a felony offense in New York. Prosecutors said the sentence reflects the seriousness of fleeing after a fatal collision while reinforcing accountability for drivers involved in deadly crashes.
