WASHINGTON HEIGHTS — A driver who allegedly led police on a high-speed chase that ended in a fatal crash has been charged in the death of her passenger, the Manhattan District Attorney’s office said.
Tiffany Allen, 25, was charged with manslaughter, unlawful fleeing of a police officer and reckless driving in the June 29 death of Shawnique Hills.
Hills, 41, was a passenger in Allen’s Honda Accord when police in an unmarked car tried to stop Allen near West 176th Street and Broadway for a routine traffic violation, officials said.
When police turned on their emergency lights, Allen sped away, blowing through several red lights and driving the wrong way down a one-way street, the DA's office said.
Allen drove south on Amsterdam Avenue and ran another red light at West 157th Street, the DA’s office said. A Chevrolet Impala traveling west on 157th Street with a green light struck the passenger side of the Honda, officials said.
Hill was taken to New York-Presbyterian Hospital, where she was pronounced dead, the DA’s office said.
Allen, of Linden, New Jersey, is being held on $200,000 bail, Department of Corrections records show.
Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. said that the indictment should send a message to other drivers.
“Tiffany Allen’s alleged recklessness, which included fleeing police and speeding through multiple red lights, endangered the lives of countless New Yorkers, and resulted in the death of her passenger,” Vance said in a statement. “[T]oday’s indictment sends a clear message to those who are careless and foolish behind the wheel: If you disobey our traffic laws, there are serious consequences for your actions.”
Allen’s lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
