Jun. 22, 2023 By Bill Parry
An Albany man admitted that he was responsible for the death of his own son while driving under the influence and crashing his car in Far Rockaway in the summer of 2020.
Victor Mitchell, 37, of Central Avenue, pleaded guilty Wednesday to aggravated vehicular homicide before Queens Supreme Court Justice Michael Aloise for killing his 8-year-old son Sincere during a single-vehicle collision. Sobriety tests determined that Mitchell was under the influence of alcohol and marijuana when he got behind the wheel.
According to the charges, Mitchell was driving with his son on Aug. 16, 2020, at approximately 6:50 a.m., when his Acura slammed into a telephone pole on Seagirt Boulevard. EMS arrived and rushed the youngster to St. John’s Episcopal Hospital.
A police-administered breathalyzer test showed Mitchell’s blood alcohol content to be .118 percent — above the DWI standard of .08 percent. The result of a Draeger drug test was positive for THC, a main ingredient of cannabis.
Mitchell’s son underwent emergency surgery at the hospital to repair a tear in his heart, but the child was unable to breathe on his own and he was placed on a ventilator. Days later, it was determined he had no brain function and Sincere was taken off life support. He died five days later on Aug. 21, 2020.
“This man’s recklessness led to the tragic death of his young son and could have harmed others on the road,” said Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz. “There are very few things more selfish than getting behind the wheel and driving under the influence. Everyone with whom we share the road — other motorists, pedestrians, cyclists — deserves our respect and consideration and has every right to reach their destination safely.”
Justice Aloise is expected to sentence Mitchell to four to 12 years in prison on July 28.