A 41-year-old Lindenwood mother is in critical condition after the car she was riding in early New Year's Eve was struck by an SUV, allegedly driven by a drunken driver.
While driving home from Manhattan in her friend's vehicle, Karen Savillo, a mother of six, was sitting in the backseat with boyfriend Frank Braun when a Ford Explorer sideswiped their Yukon at approximately 5:40 a.m. The accident happened on the eastbound Long Island Expressway by 69th Street in Maspeth.
Following the accident, the alleged drunken driver, 26-year-old Alexie Quiles, exited the car and began to leave the scene. Billy McBride and Christanto Aguirre, friends of Savillo's who were in the front seats of the car, began pursuing Quiles. Off-duty transit officer Michael Leone, who drove by and saw what was occurring, assisted with the situation.
According to court documents, Quiles said that he was driving from Bushwick and fell asleep at the wheel.
Savillo reportedly suffered severe head trauma and was taken to New York Hospital Queens where she remains in critical condition.
“It was a very unfortunate, tragic accident,” said Thomas Johnson, an attorney for the Legal Aid Society who is representing Quiles. “He's beside himself with remorse and bad feelings over what happened.”
Driving while intoxicated and vehicular assault are among the charges that have been filed against Quiles, who is a resident of Flushing. A gun was discovered under the driver's seat of Quiles' car, resulting in a charge of illegal possession of a weapon. He also allegedly had a bullet in his pocket.
Quiles was arraigned on January 1 with bail being set at $250,000. His next court appearance will be on January 16.
If convicted, Quiles could face up to 15 years in prison.
LIE crash victim remains in critical
By Jessica Lyons
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