Driver Sentenced After Killing Pedestrian on Atlantic Avenue
Erick Trujillo was sentenced to 3 to 9 years after the April 16, 2023 crash record says a 31-year-old pedestrian crossing with the signal at Atlantic Avenue and Clinton Street was killed.
What We Know
A 31-year-old woman was killed while crossing Atlantic Avenue at Clinton Street in Brooklyn on a Sunday night. According to the police report, she was crossing with the signal when a westbound sedan driver hit her head-on. The report lists alcohol involvement as a contributing factor. Two male drivers in westbound sedans were recorded in the crash. The woman suffered fatal injuries to her entire body.
A driver hit Harris as she crossed with the signal
The crash record places the fatal crash at Atlantic Avenue and Clinton Street in Brooklyn shortly before 10 p.m. on April 16, 2023. It records that a 31-year-old woman was killed while crossing at the intersection with the signal.
Brooklyn Paper identified the woman as Katherine Harris and reported that police said Erick Taxilaga Trujillo drove a black Volvo through a red light before hitting her. The city record lists two sedans involved and alcohol involvement as a contributing factor.
Prosecutors cited intoxication, speed, and a red light
The Daily News reported that investigators determined Erick Trujillo was driving 72 mph in a 25 mph zone and that a blood alcohol test showed a level of .17, nearly twice the legal limit. The same report said he ran a red light before hitting Harris and then rear-ending another driver.
The official vehicle record for the sedan attributed to the first driver lists alcohol involvement and traffic control disregarded.
Harris was remembered as loyal, funny, and determined
The Daily News reported that Harris was a skin care technician and makeup artist who was steps from home when she was killed. Her mother, Kim Harris, described her as smart, funny, determined, and a force to be reckoned with.
Friends and relatives described the loss in victim impact statements, recalling Harris as someone who loved music, baseball, dogs, local businesses, and showing up for people who needed her.
A manslaughter plea led to a prison sentence
The Daily News later reported that Erick Trujillo pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to 3 to 9 years in prison. Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said Trujillo made a disastrous decision by getting behind the wheel while intoxicated.
Atlantic Avenue has a long record of serious crashes
The crash happened at Atlantic Avenue and Clinton Street in Brooklyn, along a heavily traveled corridor near the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. Brooklyn Paper reported that Council Member Lincoln Restler called for traffic calming and safety improvements on Atlantic Avenue after Harris was killed.
CrashCountNYC location data for Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn shows 4,096 crashes, 2,408 injuries, 109 serious injuries, and 10 deaths from 2022 through June 1, 2026.