Light rap after 2 rammed bikers die
A furious Long Island driver chased down two men riding his brother’s stolen dirt bike — and killed both when he rear-r-ended them.
But the raging motoristrist was hit with only a reck-kless-endangerment charge, and his brother,, who was in the passenger seat, was never taken into custody, authorities said.
The wild crash happened on Montauk High-hway near Doane Avenuee in Bellport at about 10:15 a.m. Thursday, Suffolk cops said.aidaid.
Witnesses told Newsdaysday they saw Christopherher Bouchard, 27, speeding be-ehind the two victims as they rode on the bike. While pursuing the pair, he allegedly hit the back of the motorcycle — sending both men flying.
Several witnesses saidaid Bouchard, who was withh his older brother, Brian, appearedpeared to intentionally strike the bbikek withh his Honda Odyssey.
Bike driver Keenan King, 19, of Shirley, was pronounced dead at the scene and his rider, Anthony HolmesGarriques, 20, of North Bellport, died at Stony Brook University Hospital.
After Bouchard’s arraignment Friday, Assistant DA Raymond Varuolo said his office would ask a grand jury for an indictment on more serious charges, Newsday reported. Holmes-Garriques’ outraged mom, Lina, cried out in court, “Murderers! Murderers! They murdered my son.’’ She told Newsday her son had never been in trouble. “He’s a good kid,’’ shshe said. “I’ve got to bury my kkid for a dirt bike?’’ BBouchard pleaded not guguilty to reckless endanggerment and was ordered hheld on $200,000 cash bail or $400,000 bond. His brother was never ddetained, despite sitting in the passenger seat and hehelping him load the dirt bikbike into the minivan followinlowing the crash. “So far,f the evidence indicates the individual claiming to be ththe owner of that dirt bike ccame upon two men on tthat dirt bike and pursued tthe dirt bike, culminating in the crash,” Suffolk Pollice Commissioner Timotthy Sini said Thursday. But Varuolo didn’t see it ththat way. “TThe defendant sped up when the motorcycle slowed ddown,” hhe said in court. Bouchard’s lawyer, John Halverson, told Newsday his client never meant to harm anyone. “It’s an absolute, absolute tragedy and there was never any intention to hurt anybody,” he said. “[Bouchard] was charged with reckless endangerment, which is not an intentional crime. And I can tell you after speaking with my client, there was no intent to hurt anybody.”