Drugged wrong-way driver sentenced to 15 years in Williamsburg crash that left woman paralyzed • Brooklyn Paper

A Long Island man has been sentenced to 15 years behind bars for driving recklessly while under the influence of drugs, causing a wrong-way crash in East Williamsburg three years ago that left a woman paralyzed from the neck down.

Brooklyn Superior Court Judge Eugene Guarino sentenced Virgilio Rodriguez, 51, of Rockville Centre, to 7 to 15 years in prison. He was convicted of aggravated assault with a vehicle, second-degree assault and driving under the influence of drugs. A jury found Rodriguez guilty on August 2.

According to prosecutors, Rodriguez was driving a Ford F-150 truck in East Williamsburg on Nov. 6, 2021, when he ran a red light and turned onto the one-way street Bushwick Place, traveling the wrong way. Rodriguez's vehicle then collided head-on with an Uber, pushing both vehicles onto the sidewalk and into a building.

After the accident, Rodriguez exited his truck, stripped naked in the street and shouted, “I'm alive,” before fleeing the scene. Upon his return, police arrested him. Officers found PCP and marijuana in his truck and said they noticed signs of drug impairment.

At the police station, Rodriguez reportedly stripped down to his underwear, chanted, crawled on the floor and attempted to climb over the bars of his cell.

Further investigation revealed that Rodriguez was driving without a license at the time of the incident.

The Uber driver and two passengers were taken to Elmhurst Hospital. One of the passengers, a 28-year-old woman, was critically injured, required emergency spinal surgery and was later transferred to Mount Sinai Hospital, where she was on a ventilator for months and received a tracheostomy. She continues to require ongoing medical care.

The second passenger, a 27-year-old woman, and the 39-year-old Uber driver suffered minor injuries.

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez condemned Rodriguez's actions, stating, “This defendant's reckless decision to drive while under the influence of drugs forever changed the life of a young woman, leaving her with catastrophic injuries and a life of challenges. His actions that night were a threat to all road users, and his callous disregard for the law and human life has devastated a family.”

“My office is committed to bringing justice to victims and ensuring that drug-impaired drivers are held accountable,” he added.