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Long Island man sentenced to 15 years for paralyzing Williamsburg woman in wrong-way collision

Prosecutors say 51-year-old Virgilio Rodriguez drove a Ford F-150 truck recklessly while under the influence of drugs in East Williamsburg on Nov. 6, 2021.

News 12 Staff

Sep 17, 2024, 4:47 PM

Updated 316 days ago

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A man from Long Island has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for a wrong-way collision that left a Williamsburg woman paralyzed from the neck down.
Prosecutors say 51-year-old Virgilio Rodriguez drove a Ford F-150 truck recklessly while under the influence of drugs in East Williamsburg on Nov. 6, 2021.
He ran a red light, turned onto a one-way street at Bushwick Place and drove the wrong way.
He then collided head-on with an Uber, pushing both vehicles onto the sidewalk and into a building.
The Uber driver and one of the passengers sustained minor injuries. However, a 28-year-old woman was critically injured and underwent emergency spinal surgery.
The woman spent months on a ventilator and received a tracheostomy, according to authorities.
Further investigation revealed Rodgriguez was driving with a revoked license at the time of the incident.
According to the Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, the defendant was convicted of aggravated vehicular assault, second-degree assault and driving while ability impaired by drugs on Aug. 2, following a jury trial.