LOWER EAST SIDE – A Brooklyn man convicted of manslaughter for striking and killing a homeless man in 2014 was sentenced to one-and-two-thirds to five years in state prison on Monday, according to the Manhattan District Attorney's office.
Danny Lin, 25, was driving over twice the 25 mph speed limit in his 2011 BMW 335xi when he struck Robert Perry, 57, as he crossed the Bowery near Rivington Street around 7 p.m. on Nov. 24, 2014, throwing Perry 140 feet upon impact, the DA's office said.
Lin drove another block before driving onto the sidewalk and crashing into a fire hydrant near several pedestrians, according to the DA's office. Lin told police he had tried stopping after hitting Perry and lost control of his car.
Perry was taken to Lower Manhattan Hospital, where he died an hour later, according to police.
Lin was charged in April 2015 with manslaughter in the second degree, which is punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
A New York Supreme Court jury found him guilty of the charge on July 7, 2016, court records show.
Assistant District Attorney David Drucker, who handled the prosecution, had recommended a heavier sentence of three-and-one-third to 10 years, according to the DA's office. The sentencing was ultimately determined by judge Thomas Farber, court records show.
Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance condemned Lin's "reckless" behavior and praised police and prosecutors for the sentencing. `
“Danny Lin’s reckless driving brought about the untimely death of Robert Perry and gravely endangered several others as he sped down the Bowery at more than twice the local speed limit," said Vance in a statement. "Thanks to my Office’s prosecutors and the NYPD’s Collision Investigation Squad, he will now serve a prison sentence for his deadly conduct."
Perry, a homeless man who aspired to be a race relations and homeless outreach activist, shared his story with Storied.TV days before his death. He had grown up without parents and had been homeless since the age of 12.
Lin's lawyer did not return a request for comment.
