By Mark Hallum
A Jackson Heights woman has been convicted of manslaughter and assault stemming from a July 2015 motor vehicle accident in an Oakland Gardens school zone that caused the deaths of three family members and severely injured two others, the Queens DA said.
Deborah Burns, 48, is expected to face 15 years behind bars at her sentencing scheduled for mid-June, according to District Attorney Richard Brown.
Queens Supreme Court Justice Michael Aloise presided over the case that found Burns guilty of three counts of second-degree manslaughter and two counts of second-degree assault, according to the DA.
“A jury listened to all the evidence and found the defendant guilty of causing a deadly collision that claimed the life of a woman and her two children,” Brown said.
“This was a senseless tragedy that did not have to happen. The defendant’s actions caused immeasurable agony to the victims’ family. In a 25 mile-per-hour school zone, the defendant drove recklessly and at a high rate of speed. This frightening crash would have been even more horrific if students had been present at the time.”
According to the “black box” data recorder in the woman’s 1006 Ford Explorer, Burns was driving over 60 mph northbound on 210th Street as she passed MS 74 near Cunningham Park when her car merged into oncoming traffic.
The vehicle collided head-on with a Toyota Camry driven by 75-year-old Young Ju Ha. Ha’s sedan spun out and struck a tree, critically wounding two elderly occupants of the car. But in the backseat were a woman and her two young daughters.
Susanna Ha, 42, and her 10-year-old daughter Angelica Ung, both died a few hours after the wreck in a nearby hospital. Ha’s 8-year-old daughter Michelle Ung died three days later.
Young Ju Ha, Susanna Ha’s father, and Chung Ock Ha, 67, the victim’s mother survived with severe injuries.
The DA said Burns told police she had just dropped her children off nearby for a basketball game and was circling the block looking for parking.
Burns claimed she had been driving at 40 mph and that it was the Camry that crossed over into her lane. Video surveillance determined what had really happened, however, the DA said.
A release by Brown’s office relating to Burns’ December 2015 arraignment alleged that a toxicology report showed Burns had cocaine in her system.
Ultimately, this did not end up being a factor in her conviction, a DA spokeswoman said.
Reach reporter Mark Hallum by e-mail at mhall
