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Philadelphia, PA - Driver Jailed in Hit-N-Run Death of Queens, NY Man |
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"I apologize. I'm sorry," said Enrique Webb.
"Obviously, this is a very tragic case for all concerned," Montgomery County Judge Bernard A. Moore said as he sentenced Enrique F. Webb to 14 to 59 months in the county jail, to be followed by nine years of probation, in connection with the Oct. 9, 2006, incident on City Line Avenue that claimed the life of 70-year-old Mirian Biniashvili.
Biniashvili, of Forest Hills, Queens, N.Y., who was crossing City Line Avenue on his way from synagogue, sustained serious injuries after being struck by Webb's southbound Chevrolet van and was pronounced dead an hour later at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.
Biniashvili, an Orthodox Jew was struck at City Avenue and 77th Street as he was returning to his daughter’s Wynnewood home from a synagogue in Overbrook Park. The couple had come to Philadelphia to celebrate the Jewish harvest festival of Sukkos with his daughter’s family.
Authorities were led to Webb by a tip from his uncle. He told officials that he fled the scene because he had no registration or insurance for the van and because his license had been suspended.
Webb was not charged with homicide by vehicle, which, under the law, requires gross negligence or recklessness on the part of the driver.
Authorities previously said there was no evidence that Webb was speeding or doing anything reckless at the time of the incident. There was no evidence that alcohol or drugs played a role in the accident.
Biniashvili was wearing dark clothing and crossing the street at the time of the 7:20 p.m. incident, testimony revealed.
Defense lawyer Saul Segan pleaded for leniency on behalf of Webb, arguing Webb didn't intentionally strike Biniashvili.
"He heard a bump. He didn't realize it was a pedestrian. He did run away because he was frightened. He didn't know what to do," Segan told the judge. "He is truly sorry, truly repentant for anything he may have done to cause the loss of Mr. Biniashvili."
Speaking on behalf of Biniashvili's relatives, Assistant District Attorney Bradford Richman said "He was a small man in height but he had a great heart. He was a husband, wonderful father and a great, best grandfather kids could have," the family wrote in a letter to the judge.
"Mirian was a heart of Georgian Jewish community and when his heart stopped beating the heart of Georgian Jewish community has been violently torn out that night," a friend of Biniashvili's wrote to the judge.
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Aug 01, 2008 at 12:40 PM murray Says:
There are inconsistencies- all he heard was a bump, yet that "bump" was enough to scare him away to run. No evidence of alcohol? How would you know,weeks later(it doesn't exactly stay in the system all that long) On another note, i personally know several frum Jews who have been hit by cars, quite often through their own(unfortunate) negligence. I advise if you are wearing dark clothes, also wear a safety vest with reflective tape, also do not walk in the middle of the road, like you own it ( i see this done all the time)