Daniel Hyden, a 46-year-old substance abuse counselor from New Jersey, received a sentence of 24 years to life in prison for the July 4, 2024, drunk-driving crash that killed four people and injured seven others at Corlears Hook Park in Manhattan’s Lower East Side.​
Crash Details
Hyden drove his Ford F-150 pickup truck at speeds up to 54 mph through a construction zone and stop sign, fully accelerating without braking until half a second before impact, then crashing through a fence into a Fourth of July crowd. Victims Lucille Pinkney (59), Herman Pinkney (38), Ana Morel (43) died at the scene, while Emily Ruiz (30) succumbed five days later; he attempted to flee but was stopped by witnesses.​
Legal Outcome
Convicted in November 2025 after a bench trial on four counts of second-degree murder, aggravated vehicular homicide, and multiple assault charges, Hyden’s background in sobriety counseling and prior relapse—linked to his sister’s 2021 death by a drunk driver—factored into prosecutors’ arguments of awareness. He apologized in court, calling it an “accident,” amid victim family statements decrying his choices; DA Alvin Bragg emphasized strict prosecution for impaired driving.​
