Peekskill family wants answers after state police say man killed in wrong-way crash on Taconic State Parkway
State police say off-duty NYPD Sgt. Tiffany Howell was driving south in the northbound lanes and crashed into him head on.
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A grieving family in Peekskill wants answers. Their loved one was killed in a crash after state police say, an off-duty NYPD sergeant drove south in the northbound lanes on the Taconic State Parkway.
When it’s quiet, Marvin Boitel says it really hits.
“That’s when it dawns on me that he’s gone," Marvin Boitel tells News 12.
His brother, Eric Boitel, says it feels like a living nightmare.
“Sometimes we wake up hoping it was all just a really bad dream," says Eric Boitel.
The two brothers lost their father, 61-year-old Manuel Boitel in January.
“We were just in complete shock," Eric tells us.
Manuel Boitel was driving home to Peekskill from his longtime job as a doorman on the Upper East Side.
That night, he didn't get home at his usual time so his sons checked his location.
“When we checked this app, we saw he hadn’t moved from the same location in over an hour. That’s when something dawned on us that something has happened," Marvin explains.
Manuel was on the Taconic State Parkway in Mount Pleasant.
State police say off-duty NYPD Sgt. Tiffany Howell was driving south in the northbound lanes and crashed into him head on.
The Boitel's say their father wanted to be a police officer himself and even gave to organizations supporting them.
They say they want answers and justice.
“I want to take the opportunity to call on the attorney general on behalf of the family for a full and transparent investigation into exactly how something like this could happen," says Jonathan Roberts, attorney with Talkin, Muccigrosso & Roberts, L.L.P., who is representing the Boitel family.
The New York State Attorney General's Office says its investigation is ongoing. You can read more details from the press release here.
Meanwhile, Sgt. Howell is suspended without pay, according to officials with NYPD.
News 12 has reached out to Howell’s attorney but hasn't heard back yet.
As for the Boitel's, they are holding on to the memories of their father.
“He would drop everything if it involved me, my brother, my mother," says Marvin.
They say he was a great dad, a good and compassionate person who loved their mom dearly. They were together for more than 40 years.
“He will always be loved," Eric tells News 12.
They also say he touched many lives and was a hard worker who was dedicated to his job.
A GoFundMe page for the Boitel family has raised nearly $70,000.
“We have been deeply saddened to learn about the passing of our union brother Manuel Boitel. A dedicated doorman on the Upper East Side, Manuel was killed in a tragic accident while commuting home to Peekskill. We honor his life and mourn his loss. Manuel put more than 30 years of service into making his condo building home, and he was taken just shy of enjoying the retirement he deserved. Our thoughts are with his family and his loved ones," said Manny Pastreich, President of 32BJ SEIU.
