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Nerim Sinanovic of the Bronx was driving his BMW SUV northbound Taconic in Yorktown on Aug. 15, 2015 at approximately 2:50 p.m., with his wife was in the front passenger seat and their two young daughters were in the rear seats.
Sinanovic told New York State Police that while driving northbound on the Taconic State Parkway, he took his hands off the steering wheel, turned towards the back seat and steered with his knees. This caused the vehicle to veer to the right. His wife then grabbed the wheel and the vehicle veered left and continued up and over the dividing center median between the north and southbound lanes.
The vehicle became airborne and crashed into a Toyota Camry which was traveling in the southbound lane. There were three family members in that vehicle at the time of the crash. Two sustained massive internal injuries and were pronounced dead within hours. The third person died on Sept. 15, 2015 at Westchester Medical Center.
Sinanovic’s children, a two-year-old and a one-year-old who were both in child seats, were ejected from the vehicle. The two-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene.
Two additional vehicles, a Ford Escape and an Acura RSX, were also struck. Those occupants sustained non-life threatening injuries.
A toxicology report indicated the Sinanovic had a level of Xanax in his system over therapeutic levels at the time of the crash.
Sinanovic, who pleaded guilty in August of 2017 to four counts of criminally negligent homicide, one count of reckless driving, and one count of violation of Section 1180 of the vehicle and traffic law (driving a vehicle at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent under the conditions), was sentenced by Judge Barry Warhit. Under the terms of his sentence, Sinanovic will serve a four-month jail term followed by nearly five years of probation.
“Today’s sentencing ends a very sad chapter for two families brought together by tragedy,” Scarpino said. “It addresses the complexities of the evidence presented in this case, and honored the wishes of a family who chose forgiveness and compassion for a defendant who admitted his guilt.”
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