Murder charge in DWI crash that killed preg fiancée
A Staten Island driver accused of killing his pregnant fiancée in a booze-fueled wreck now faces murder charges in the grisly crash, the Daily News has learned.
A Staten Island grand jury has indicted Adem Nikeziq, 30, on a host of charges, including depraved indifference murder and aggravated vehicular homicide, in the January crash, which killed Adriana Sylmetaj, and ripped the couple’s unborn child from her womb.
Nikeziq was speeding and swerving down Hylan Blvd. at about 4:45 a.m. Jan. 28 when he slammed his Dodge Challenger into a utility pole and a brick wall near Rose Ave. in New Dorp, according to a criminal complaint.
The impact ripped his car into three pieces and launched the 7 months pregnant Sylmetaj, 23, from the passenger seat. She and their baby died at the scene.
A police officer had to cut Nikeziq out of his seat belt, according to the complaint. “I was cut off by another vehicle and I crashed,” he’s accused of telling the cop.
He appeared drunk at the scene, slurred his speech, swayed on his feet, and reeked of booze, according to the complaint.
He was initially arrested on manslaughter and assault charges, and remains held on $400,000 cash bail or $700,000 bond.
The new charges also reveal that Nikeziq had a blood alcohol level of more than 0.18 percent — more than twice the 0.08 legal limit for drunken driving.
Still, prosecutors haven’t yet revealed any additional details about what makes Sylmetaj’s death a murder. James Clinton, a spokesman for District Attorney Michael McMahon, said more information would be available after Thursday’s arraignment.
A murder charge, which carries the possibility of 15 years to life in prison, is rare in drunken-driving fatalities, though prosecutors in New York occasionally bring the charge if they can establish a suspect has such a disregard for human life that they don’t care if their reckless actions will kill someone.
“As far as I know, I hope he gets [life in prison], and, that’s it, I don’t have to see him again. That’s all,” Sylmetaj’s brother Al said Tuesday.
The couple was expecting the birth of a daughter in April, and Sylmetaj was over the moon about her pregnancy, her brother told The News last month.
“She was excited when she learned she was going to be a mother. It was something new to her. She couldn’t wait to see the baby born,” he said. “They were thinking on names, but I don’t think they came to any decision. ... They were planning on a baby shower.”
Nikeziq’s lawyer, Patrick Parrotta, said his client — who wept at his Criminal Court arraignment after learning his girlfriend and his baby died — didn’t act with the evil disregard for life required to support a murder charge.
“It’s easy to get an indictment when they’re just presenting evidence without any cross-examination or mitigating evidence,” he said.
“They have to establish, according to the Court of Appeals that his behavior reflects wickedness, evilness or inhumanity, as manifested by brutal, heinous and despicable acts . ... There may certainly are a lot of aggravating factors here, but I do not believe that it rises to the level of depraved indifference to human life.”