23-year-old driver indicted for deadly stunt crash in Hunts Point appears in court
MELROSE, The Bronx (WABC) -- A man from Queens has been indicted in a crash that killed two people after allegedly performing reckless car stunts in the Bronx on New Year's Day.
Enrique Lopez, 23, was arraigned on Tuesday on two counts of second-degree manslaughter, two counts of criminally negligent homicide and a slew of other vehicular offenses.
Lopez walked out of court slowly, doubled over as if still in pain from the crash last month.
The back of his sweatshirt was emblazoned with the words "Long Live Gio."
Giovante Roberson, 21, is one of two people Lopez is criminally charged in connection with their deaths last month. He's accused of driving recklessly during an early morning meetup of car enthusiasts who perform donuts and other tricks that are then posted on social media.
On January 21, a crowd was gathered in Hunts Point when the driver lost control, slamming a Chrysler 300 into a parked oil truck.
The impact killed Roberson and 15-year-old Sabrina Villagomez of Rockland County. Both were passengers in the car. A 17-year-old girl who was seated in the rear of the vehicle was placed into a medically induced coma for injuries suffered from the crash.
"Two people died and a third suffered life-threatening injuries because of the defendant's alleged stunt driving on a Bronx street in the presence of numerous bystanders and other vehicles," Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark said. "His car careened into a fuel oil truck, and it is fortunate that more lives were not ruined."
The investigation revealed that Lopez's car contained a stolen Hellcat engine.
In court, Lopez said nothing other than to enter a plea of not guilty to the charges he's facing.
He is due back in court on June 5.
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