A drunken tour-bus driver who fatally ran over a pedestrian in Hell’s Kitchen was charged yesterday with the grisly killing of the man he mowed over, police said.
Steve Drappel, 57, of West Palm Beach, Fla., was arrested and charged with vehicular manslaughter and DWI after the driver struck Timothy White, 29, of Philadelphia, on Saturday night and reportedly dragged him about half a block.
Drappel had a blood alcohol content of 0.083, more than double the legal limit for commercial drivers, police said.
There were about 40 passengers on board at the time of the incident, and according to the Daily News, Drappel had just wrapped up a tour of the city. Drappel and the tour bus owner, TraveLynx of Cocoa, Fla., were hired by Chinatown tour operator L & L Travel, according to the paper.
“It took a long time for him to stop,” one witness told the Daily News.
It was unclear last night whether Drappel had an attorney. L & L Travel and TraveLynx didn’t return requests for comment.
(with Emily Ngo)
Breaking down the governor debate ... Tell the LIRR what you think ... Home prices fell last month ... 'Forever chemicals' in our water
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