BROOKLYN — A drunk off-duty police officer ran his SUV into four pedestrians in Williamsburg early Saturday, killing one man and injuring three others, police said.
Two men and two women were walking along Bedford Avenue near North Eighth Street around 3:10 a.m. Saturday when off-duty rookie police officer Nicholas Batka, 28, turned his gray 2012 Dodge Durango from North Eighth onto Bedford, mounted the sidewalk and struck the four victims, causing head and body trauma, according to the NYPD.
A 21-year-old man, 23-year-old woman and 22-year-old woman were rushed to Bellevue Hospital. The 21-year-old, Andrew Esquivel, was pronounced dead, police said.
Both women were in stable condition, according to police.
Another victim, a 24-year-old man, was taken to New York Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Cornell, also in stable condition, according to the NYPD.
Batka, who was also taken to Cornell in stable condition, joined the NYPD in January 2015 and worked for the Manhattan Transit Task Force, according to the Daily News.
Batka was charged with manslaughter and vehicular manslaughter, three counts of assault, driving while intoxicated, driving while ability impaired and driving on a sidewalk. He has been suspended, according to the NYPD.
