By Olivia Scheck and Nicole Bode
DNAinfo Senior Editor
MANHATTAN — Disgraced former hoops star Jayson Williams was sentenced to an additional year in prison and ordered to pay for a damaged tree after pleading guilty to a DWI charge on Friday.
The former New Jersey Net admitted to crossing four lanes of oncoming traffic and crashing his Mercedes SUV into a tree near the FDR drive while intoxicated last January.
The 42-year-old initially tried to deny that he was behind the wheel of the car when he plowed it into the tree on Jan. 5 at E. 20th Street and Avenue C, but witnesses told police that no one else was with him during the crash, according to a police deposition.
A blood test later determined that he had a blood alcohol level of .19, prosecutors said.
In court on Friday, Williams, who is currently serving 5 years in New Jersey prison in connection to the shooting death of his former limo driver, apologized to his ill mother and promised to become a “poster child” against drunk driving.
“I’ll become a poster child for that if it’s going to save lives,” a somber Williams told the court.
But Judge Rita Mella insisted on giving him the maximum possible sentence of eight months to one year, to be served on Rikers Island, on top of his New Jersey sentence. In addition, Mella ordered the NBA star to pay $16,643 to the city for the damaged tree.
Williams’ lawyer, Oscar Holt III, insisted that the sentence was unusual and excessive.
“I have never seen, experienced or heard of anyone recommending the maximum when the person is a first time DWI offender,” Holt told the judge.
“This is the price that Mr. Williams is paying for being Jayson Williams, for being a celebrity,” he added afterwards.
