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Robinson Perez, 31, of Manhattan, was sentenced Wednesday, Feb. 6, in connection with the fatal crash which occurred on July 16, 2017, that killed Dustin Mills, 30, of Middletown, said the Orange County District Attorney's Office.
The victim was killed when the car that he had been driving on Route 17M, in the Town of Wallkill, was struck at high speed by a car driven by Perez, the DA's Office said.
Perez pleaded guilty in December 2018 to aggravated vehicular homicide and operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of drugs.
Prosecutors had argued that New York State Troopers had unsuccessfully attempted to pull Perez over when they noticed him driving a BMW automobile in excess of 100 miles per hour just prior to the fatal collision.
At the time he pleaded guilty, Perez admitted that he was under the influence of marijuana at the time of the collision and that the car he had been driving crossed over the double yellow line into the opposing lane of travel before colliding head-on with the oncoming car.
District Attorney Hoovler thanked the New York State Police for their investigation and the arrest of Perez.
“While no state prison sentence can ever compensate for the pain experienced by a grieving family, I hope that this sentence brings some measure of closure to the victim’s family and his loved ones,” said Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler. “Fatalities caused by those who drive while under the influence of any substance are as preventable as they are tragic."
The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Leah Canton.
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