Racing Drivers Sentenced After Henry Hudson Parkway Death
Going to Work
Prosecutors said Marcos Vega-Pagan and Cary Brown were racing before they hit Joel Quintana on the Henry Hudson Parkway, where the official record lists one motorist killed in a crash involving a motorcycle and sedans.
What We Know
Joel Quintana, 42, died after a crash on the Henry Hudson Parkway near West 145th Street on Aug. 3, 2023. The city crash record places the crash at 10:52 p.m.; news accounts and prosecutors described it as around 10:50 p.m., 10:57 p.m., or around 11 p.m. Prosecutors said Marcos Vega-Pagan, driving a BMW, and Cary Brown, driving a Mercedes-Benz, were racing southbound before Vega-Pagan hit Quintana from behind and Brown then drove over him. Both drivers left the scene, prosecutors said. Later reporting said both men pleaded guilty to reduced charges and were sentenced to prison.
A late-night crash involving a motorcycle and two sedans
The official crash record lists a fatal crash on Aug. 3, 2023, at 10:52 p.m. on the Henry Hudson Parkway, involving a motorcycle and sedans and leaving one motorist dead.
Police and prosecutors later identified the person who died as Joel Quintana, 42. Prosecutors said Marcos Vega-Pagan, driving a BMW, hit Quintana from behind near West 145th Street, and Cary Brown, driving a Mercedes-Benz, then drove over him. Both drivers left the scene, according to prosecutors and police accounts.
The crash happened on the Henry Hudson Parkway in Harlem
The official record places the crash on the Henry Hudson Parkway. News accounts described the location as the southbound parkway near West 145th Street in Harlem, close to the Riverbank State Park overpass.
Joel Quintana was remembered as a father and hotel manager
Quintana lived in Inwood and was a father of six, according to news reports citing police and prosecutors. Reports said he worked as a manager at the Loews Regency Hotel and enjoyed riding his motorcycle.
Investigators and prosecutors focused on speed and racing
The official crash record lists unsafe speed as a contributing factor. Prosecutors alleged that Brown and Vega-Pagan were racing southbound on the Henry Hudson Parkway, with reported speeds of up to 90 mph or 80 to 90 mph before the crash.
Two drivers were charged and later sentenced
Brown was arrested in August 2023 and charged with manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, and leaving the scene, according to police accounts. Prosecutors later announced indictments against Brown and Vega-Pagan, including manslaughter and leaving-the-scene charges tied to Quintana’s death.
Our Town later reported that both men accepted guilty pleas to reduced charges and were sentenced for leaving the scene and criminally negligent homicide. The report said Vega-Pagan received 3 2/3 to 11 years in prison, and Brown received 3 to 9 years.