Posted on 08/21/2026 5:57:19 AM PDT by xxqqzz
A former New York City Police Department sergeant from Orange County pleaded guilty to driving in the wrong direction on the Taconic State Parkway while intoxicated and striking another vehicle, causing a driver's death, state Attorney General Letitia James said Wednesday.
Tiffany Howell, of Warwick, who was off-duty at the time, pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicular homicide and second-degree manslaughter before Judge Anne Bianchi in Westchester County Court, James said.
Howell, 48, crashed head-on into a car driven north by Manuel Boitel at 11:37 p.m. on Jan. 22 while she was driving south at more than 50 mph with a blood alcohol content of more than 0.18, the AG said. Boitel was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
Bianchi set a $100,000 cash bail. Howell is due back in court for sentencing on Oct. 28, when she faces four to 12 years in prison.
(Excerpt) Read more at spectrumlocalnews.com ...
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The Taconic is right near my house and right where i grew up....drove that highway for years....
“Howell is due back in court for sentencing on Oct. 28, when she faces four to 12 years in prison.”
Meanwhile the victim got the death penalty.
Huh? Looks Caucasian to me.
Cops are people with flaws, and alcoholism is one flaw that a lot of cops have. I have heard many stories from my friends who were police (now retired) about drinking on the job, including drinking and driving, that were shocking. The force tries to stop it and does a lot better these days but a lot of police abuse alcohol. So it doesn’t surprise me to see a story like this.
OC ping
What in the hell are you talking about? This woman is white, and she’s NYPD, not a “trooper” as you stated. You either have an agenda, or you just cannot read.
Just think...the next time I shoot somebody I could go to jail.
I have a lot of cop friends. I hear the same. Blows my mind
Well then times have changed. When I was one in teh80’s and 90’ it was not an issue. Maybe they changed because of lower hiring standards and DEI and the fact that everyone under the rank of Lieutenant knows you will be hung out to dry if you make a mistake. Nothing you do is ever right. So, they live in a semi-paralyzed state in their job. Mainly I think it has to do with who you hire.
Taconic Parkway is dangerous even on a sunny day, stone cold sober.
Sigh. It seems like the drunk is always the one to survive and the innocent driver is killed.
Taconic State Parkway (TSP) was right near our house before we abandoned New York and retreated to a low-tax state where our votes mean something. In my experience, TSP south of I-84 in Putnam/Westchester Counties is one of the most dangerous highways in the state. That section of the TSP was constructed in the 1930's when cars were slower and generally smaller and lighter than modern vehicles. The highway was built for leisure travel by car (no trucks), with a 40 mph speed limit, but has evolved since then to become a major commuter route that includes non-commercial trucks, and now has a speed limit of 55 mph -- although many drivers view that as a mere suggestion. The section south of I-84 is very narrow, with a lot of switchbacks and elevation changes, narrow shoulders (if any), and access/egress points that are 90 degree turns from stop signs (as opposed to ramps) and cross-overs that are grade level (as opposed to clover-leaf bridges). Driving that stretch of the TSP sober is difficult; drive it drunk and someone will die.
That is still a crazy portion of the Taconic....they widened much of the highway but because of the terrain they can’t widen that part...its like driving in the Monaco GP on that section...further south when you get to Peekskill Hollow Rd is another hairy section...
Agreed. North of I-84, the terrain straighter with more gradual elevation changes, although many of the many of the entrance/egress points and cross-overs remain grade level with stop signs.
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