Substance Abuse Counselor Who Drunkenly Crashed Into Crowded N.Y.C. Park, Killing 4, Learns Fate By Nicole Acosta

Daniel Hyden, the speeding drunk driver who killed four people after plowing his pickup truck into a crowded New York City park on the Fourth of July, has learned his fate.

Hyden, 46, was sentenced to 24 years to life in prison in connection with the deadly 2024 crash that also wounded seven others, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office announced in a press release on Friday, Jan. 16.

He was convicted in November 2025 of four counts of second-degree murder, four counts of second-degree assault, three counts of third-degree assault and one count of aggravated vehicular homicide after a bench trial, PEOPLE previously reported, citing prosecutors.

On July 4, 2024, Hyden, who was intoxicated, ran a stop sign and sped through a construction zone in Manhattan’s Lower East Side at speeds of up to 54 mph — nearly double the city’s typical 25 mph speed limit — before crashing through a chain-link fence and into a crowd at Corlears Hook Park, the press release states.

“Hyden had fully pressed down his gas pedal and did not hit his brakes until one-half second before the final crash,” prosecutors said. “Four people were trapped underneath the pickup truck, with seven others struck and injured by the truck or debris.”

Lucille Pinkney, 59, Herman Pinkney, 38, and Ana Morel, 43, were pronounced dead at the scene while Emily Ruiz, 30, died five days later, per the press release and The New York Times, which reported the victims’ ages.

Hyden worked as substance abuse counselor and wrote a book about sobriety titled The Sober Addict, according to his LinkedIn profile. Prosecutors cited his background during the trial as evidence that Hyden was aware of his actions that night, the Times reported.

According to ABC News, Hyden said he had broken his sobriety after his sister was killed by a drunk driver in New Jersey in 2021. At the time of his crash in July 2024, he was preparing to speak at that driver’s sentencing, the outlet reported.

“What kind of human being would put other human beings through the same thing [I] was going through?” Hyden asked, per the outlet.

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Police body camera footage showed Hyden had been denied entry to a boat party for being too intoxicated prior to the crash, according to CBS News.

“While this prison sentence will not reverse the fatalities, injuries, and trauma, I hope this sentencing brings a measure of comfort for those who were impacted by this mass casualty event,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg Jr. said in the release. “If you are intoxicated, do not get behind the wheel — it risks the lives of others, and you will be prosecuted.”

The victims’ loved ones shared statements inside and outside court on Friday.

A relative of the Pickneys echoed the arguments put forward by prosecutors. “Daniel made the conscious choice to drink and drive, fully aware of the risk,” Starkema Lewis said in court, per the Times. “Fully aware of the devastation it would cause.”

In a GoFundMe campaign, Diamond Pickney identified Lucille and Herman as his mother and brother, respectively. Another online fundraiser said Herman was survived by his wife Jessica and son Jacob, who were also injured in the crash.

Halena Herrera, Ruiz’s best friend, told ABC News that the loss is still hard to believe, but she’s “glad that at least now there’s some sense of justice.”

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“It doesn’t help much. It doesn’t bring anything back, but it’s good to have it over with, so I’m happy for that,” she said, per the outlet. Ruiz, a mother of a 6-year-old boy, was remembered as someone with a “loving nature and sincere heart” in a GoFundMe campaign. 

During his sentencing hearing, Hyden apologized to the victims’ loved ones and described the crash as an “accident,” the Times reported.

“I’m processing how deeply disturbed and deeply hurt I was and still am,” he said in court, per the outlet. “And I’m still processing the amount of people I hurt with my actions.”