By Chauncey Alcorn
A convicted drunk driver who in 2005 killed one man and injured three people during two subsequent hit-and-run accidents was sentenced to 21 years in prison, the Queens district attorney said last week.
Anand Hazare, 33, of the 100 block of Grafton Road in Stockton, N.J., was convicted March 16 of second-degree manslaughter, leaving the scene of an accident without reporting personal injury and operating a motor vehicle while under the influence in addition to first- and second-degree assault, according to DA Richard Brown.
Authorities said his actions Oct. 16, 2005, led to the death of Shivanand Patraju, 21, a classical Indian musician, who was riding in an SUV with three others. Earlier that night, Hazare hit and injured Wazir Mohammed, 45, while he was crossing the street, the DA said.
“The moment that the defendant decided to put down his drink and pick up his car keys he was traveling down the wrong road,” Brown said. “In both instances, he fled the crash scenes rather than stopping to provide needed assistance to those he had harmed.”
Prosecutors said Hazare was driving drunk at about 3 a.m. when his 1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse struck and injured Mohammed while he was crossing the intersection of Lefferts Boulevard and Liberty Avenue. Minutes later, he ran a red light at the intersection of 124th Street and Linden Boulevard and crashed into a GMC Suburban carrying four people, the DA said.
Shastri Solgrim, 20, Avikash Ramnarine, 19, and his sister, Avina Ramnarine, 22, were all injured. Patraju was ejected from the vehicle. He received multiple fractures and died a short time later at a local hospital.
Authorities said that after Hazare fled the scene of the second accident, he called 911 and told the dispatcher he was car-jacked prior to the accidents.
“Based on his reckless and thoughtless conduct and his refusal to take personal responsibility for his actions, the lengthy prison sentence imposed by the court is more than warranted,” Brown said.
The DA said Hazare was driving at more than 60 mph when he struck the SUV and his blood alcohol content was .12 percent. The legal limit in New York state is .08 percent.
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