Brooklyn Driver Sentenced to up to 10 Years in Prison for Striking Two Women Attempting to Cross Bushwick Street, Killing One

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Friday, May 29, 2026

Brooklyn Driver Sentenced to up to 10 Years in Prison for Striking
Two Women Attempting to Cross Bushwick Street, Killing One

Defendant Drove through Stop Sign and was Speeding While Fleeing Police

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a Brooklyn man has been sentenced to up to 10 years in prison for running a red light and multiple stop signs while fleeing police, ultimately striking two pedestrians, a senior citizen and her daughter. The older woman later died of her injuries.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, "This defendant sped through the streets of Brooklyn with no regard for public safety even after police tried to stop him, running red lights and stop signs and finally crashing into two women simply trying to cross the street. Juanita Vidal lost her life, and her daughter suffered serious injuries. This prosecution brings the defendant to justice and underscores our commitment to keeping Brooklyn's streets safe for all."

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Robert Matthews, 27, of East New York, Brooklyn. He was sentenced today by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Adam Perlmutter to an indeterminate term of five to 10 years in prison as part of a Court offer. The defendant pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree manslaughter and one count of leaving the scene of an incident without reporting where death results on April 13, 2026.

The District Attorney said that, according to the evidence, on May 9, 2024, at approximately 5 p.m., the police were on patrol in the vicinity of Evergreen Street and Weirfield Street in Bushwick when they saw the defendant run through a stop sign directly in front of their vehicle.

The officers attempted to stop the defendant, who initially pulled over, but then sped away at a high speed. The police, with their lights on, followed and, according to the evidence, saw the defendant driving at excessive speeds, crossing the double yellow line multiple times to pass other cars, run a red light and multiple stop signs, and fail to signal. The defendant's vehicle turned on to Eldert Street and sped towards the intersection of Eldert and Knickerbocker Street at a high rate of speed.

The defendant sped through a stop sign, according to the evidence, and swerved to avoid a vehicle in the intersection, then struck Juanita Vidal, 71, and her 44-year-old daughter, who were beginning to cross in the crosswalk. The defendant then struck a parked car and fled on foot.

Juanita Vidal suffered blunt force trauma to her neck and torso and later died at a hospital. Her daughter suffered multiple fractures to her body and ribs, which punctured her lungs. The defendant was arrested on July 22, 2024, following an investigation.

The investigation was conducted by the New York City Police Department's Highway Patrol and Collision Investigation Squad Division.

The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Quinn McLoughlin, of the District Attorney's Grey Zone Trial Bureau, under the supervision of Bureau Chief Robert Walsh, as well as Street Safety Bureau Chief Jennifer Nocella and Deputy Chief Christopher Velez.

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