A former NYPD sergeant from Orange County has been sentenced in a wrong way, drunk driving crash that took the life of a Peekskill man, according to New York Attorney General Letitia James.
Tiffany Howell, 48, of Warwick was sentenced Wednesday to four to 12 years in prison. Howell pleaded guilty in August.
The crash happened in January on the Taconic State Parkway in Mount Pleasant.
As News 12 reported, officials said Howell was off-duty when she drove in the wrong direction on the Taconic and crashed head-on into 61-year-old Manuel Boitel's car.
Documents say she had a blood alcohol content of at least 0.18.
Boitel was a beloved doorman in Manhattan. He's being remembered as a great father, husband and good person.
"I just want to say that a badge does not place anybody above the law and no sentence can replace a human life," said the Boitel family's attorney, Jonathan Roberts.
Boitel's family said the sentence given to Howell isn't enough.
"You getting four to 12 years in prison is a joke. You know that too. You're a cop, a sergeant no less. You absolutely know better," said Boitel's son, Marvin Boitel.
Boitel's wife and his sons spoke in the courtroom Wednesday, addressing Howell.
"I hope you understand the magnitude of what was lost that night and that the people who loved him will have to live with that absence for the rest of their lives," said Boitel's son, Eric Boitel.
Howell apologized in court.
"I am profoundly sorry for the pain that I've caused Mr. Boitel's family and friends, and my own. I do take full responsibility for my actions," said Howell.