By Howard Koplowitz
A Jamaica driver was sentenced to up to four years in prison June 7 for a 2002 hit-and-run incident that killed Tedesco, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said.Pierre Badette, 25, of 152-17 125th Avenue, struck the 15-year-old victim with his 2000 white Nissan Maxima back on Nov. 15, 2002 at 11:24 p.m., the district attorney said. Tedesco, a sophomore at Martin Van Buren High School, was crossing the street against the light at Union Turnpike and Little Neck Parkway when Badette failed to stop his car and then fled the scene of the accident, according to Brown. Badette admitted he was driving the car at the time of the accident, according to the criminal complaint filed by the DA's office, but he said he had a green light and tried to avoid Tedesco. He claimed that when he hit the teenager, he was too scared to stop the car and left, it said. Tedesco had just stepped off a city bus after visiting a friend's house nearby before he was struck and killed.”The tragic case is a grim lesson why speed can kill and underscores the need for tougher penalties for such crimes,” Brown said in a statement.The district attorney mentioned that Badette had seven suspensions and two revocations of his license between April 26, 2003 and March 23, 2004.Badette's sentence may be as little as 1 1/3 years to as much as four, the maximum sentence for criminally negligent homicide, a spokeswoman from the DA's office said, meaning that his suspensions and revocations had no impact on his sentence. Badette pleaded guilty to the charge on May 13.The Tedesco family could not be reached for comment, but the TimesLedger earlier reported that the teenager's parents, Marie and Russell Tedesco, had said they wanted a tougher sentence for Badette.”I wish there could be a more serious charge against him,” Russell Tedesco said.Brown said Badette was arrested for the crime in January when his older brother pointed him out to authorities after Badette was charged with check fraud.Reach reporter Howard Koplowitz by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 173
