Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark announced on Oct. 19 that a New Jersey man was charged with recklessly driving on the Grand Concourse, leading to the death of Bronx food delivery worker, Victorio Hilario-Guzman, in 2020.

 

In the context of the announcement, Clark said, “The defendant accelerated and ran a red light, striking a food delivery worker on a bicycle. His alleged reckless actions ended the life of the victim, who was delivering food in the middle of the pandemic.” She added, “I send my deepest condolences to the victim’s family, who had to wait for two years for the defendant to be brought to justice.”

 

Clark said the defendant, Yeramil Alvarez, 22, of Ridgefield, New Jersey, was arraigned on Oct. 19, on charges of leaving the scene of an incident without reporting, reckless driving, and aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Albert Lorenzo. Bail was continued at $25,000 cash, $75,000 bond.

According to the investigation, at around 7:47 p.m. on Sept. 23, 2020, near the corner of East 180^th Street and Grand Concourse, Alvarez was allegedly stopped in a 2020 Black Genesis sedan and accelerated when leaving the location. Alvarez was allegedly speeding and allegedly ran a red light, striking Hilario-Guzman, 37.

 

Hilario-Guzman, who was on a bike making a food delivery, was ejected from his bike and hit his head against the curb. The defendant allegedly immediately fled the scene, without stopping, after crashing into Hilario-Guzman. The victim was taken to St. Barnabas Hospital where he was pronounced deceased, hours later.

 

Alvarez’s license had been suspended at the time the incident occurred. To evade authorities, he allegedly drove the vehicle to a hotel in New Jersey. The vehicle was a rental for which he had allegedly used a fake Pennsylvania license plate, and had provided an inaccurate call back number. The vehicle was found totaled in Michigan a month after the incident. Alvarez was arrested on Sept. 19, 2022 after he was stopped in Manhattan for driving with a suspended license.

As reported in December 2020, a ghost bike memorial was erected at the location of the accident where Hilario-Guzman was killed by the groups, Transportation Alternatives, Streetmemorials.org, and members of Five Boro Bike Club, to honor the late delivery worker.

 

More recently, Norwood News also reported on the relatively high number of accidents in recent years, involving delivery workers, many of whom are immigrants, in the Bronx, a pattern which appears to have been, in part, attributable to the higher number of home deliveries requested amid the pandemic, combined with ongoing speed or other driving violations committed by offending drivers. A new speed law became effective on Aug. 1, as reported.

 

This particular case is being prosecuted by assistant district attorney, Katerina Kurteva, of Trial Bureau 60, under the supervision of Jeffrey Kimelman, chief of the vehicular crimes unit, and under the overall supervision of James Brennan, deputy chief of the Trial Division, and Theresa Gottlieb, chief of the Trial Division.

 

Clark thanked Bronx DA Detective Investigator Ubong Edet and Bronx DA Senior Detective Investigator Iftekhar Khan for their assistance; and trial preparation assistants, Jamece Hill and Joshua Marrero, both of the vehicular crimes unit, for their work with the investigation.

 

Clark also thanked NYPD Sergeant Randal McFarland, formerly of the Bronx Collision Investigation Squad and currently of the 115^th Precinct.

          

A person arrested and charged with a crime is deemed innocent unless and until convicted in a court of law.