Driver pleads guilty to DWI in crash that killed Uber driver, DA says

A Queens man admitted Tuesday to killing an Uber driver last year while driving drunk on the Long Island Expressway in a wreck that propelled the victim into traffic before another vehicle dragged him about a half-mile.

Prosecutors said Bonifacio Enriquez, 36, of College Point pleaded guilty in Nassau County Court to second-degree manslaughter and driving while intoxicated.

The April 7, 2016, crash in Jericho killed Roohul Ameen, 43, of Bay Shore, a Pakistani immigrant and father of four young children, who had been on his way home from work.

Acting State Supreme Court Justice Terence Murphy committed to giving Enriquez a prison term of 2 to 6 years when he sentences him in September, defense attorney Todd Greenberg said Tuesday.

The Forest Hills lawyer said his client, who works in an X-ray technician’s office, was “extremely remorseful” and “wanted to take responsibility for his actions.”

Prosecutors will recommend a prison sentence of 3 to 9 years, Nassau district attorney’s office spokesman Brendan Brosh said.

Law enforcement officials have said Ameen stopped his Toyota Camry on the LIE before the crash at about 2 a.m. because he was trying to tie up the car’s front bumper after it had become dislodged because of an accident earlier that day.

Authorities said the Uber driver was standing outside his car in the eastbound HOV lane, and Enrique tried to pass on the left — between the Camry and the median. But Enrique’s Ford Escape hit the Camry and Ameen, sending the man’s body into the left lane.

Police said the driver of a Nissan Altima then hit Ameen and dragged him in the roadway. Prosecutors have said that motorist didn’t commit any crimes.

Greenberg said Tuesday his client had been facing up to 5 to 15 years in prison if found guilty of the top count against him after a trial. He said prosecutors also were alleging Enriquez had been speeding.

“A motorist tending to a disabled vehicle should not have to fear for his life because of the intoxication and recklessness of a fellow driver,” District Attorney Madeline Singas said Tuesday in a statement, adding she hoped Enriquez’s plea “will provide some small comfort” to the Ameen family.