Immigrant Dies in Fiery Uptown Crash Following Cop Chase; Family Considers Lawsuit

An undocumented immigrant from the Dominican Republic died in a fiery car crash in Inwood earlier this month, after reportedly being chased by two officers from the Bronx’s 50th Precinct driving an NYPD cruiser. They had identified the Honda CRV that 31-year-old Francisco Andres Guzman Parra was driving on April 2 as stolen, cops say.

The police say the two officers pursued Parra through the Bronx, and that he crashed shortly after exiting the Henry Hudson Highway in northern Manhattan.

Now, while mournful vigils for Parra continue to be held at the scene of the incident on Dyckman Street, the Spodek Law Group told The Spirit that they are considering a lawsuit against the NYPD on behalf of the family; they believe the officers purposefully left the scene of the crash without calling it in, and failed to render aid to Parra while he burned alive. Spodek believes that the legal discovery process, which would initiate upon filing suit, will clarify what happened.

The two officers involved in the incident have been suspended while an internal investigation is conducted into the incident. The state attorney general’s office is also looking into it. However, the Police Benevolent Association is defending the conduct of the two officers, saying that they had likely lost track of Parra during the pursuit and that there shouldn’t be a “rush to judgment.”

The family had to identify Parra via dental records at a nearby Harlem clinic, due to the severity of the blaze; a medical examiner ruled that Parra perished due to “thermal injuries” and the impact of blunt force trauma. The family wasn’t able to make the identification until a few days later, and initially believed that he could have been picked up on an Immigration & Customs Enforcement detainer.

Notably, most police chases have recently been banned by NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, outside of the pursuit of suspects alleged to have committed particularly violent felonies. The NYPD said that pursuing Parra, who had allegedly stolen a car, would still be permissible under this new guidance.

Three vigils have been held at the scene of the incident so far, while a funeral will be held on April 26. The burnt outline from the crash is still visible to bystanders on the sidewalk days later.

According to one source with Spodek Law Group that spoke anonymously due to internal deliberation, relevant footage from surveillance cameras in the area would be obtained during the discovery process, although there are only a few such cameras in the vicinity of the accident. They are also looking for eyewitness testimony.

The firm believes they will be able to definitively prove that the crash wasn’t reported by the officers, and that an “ordinary citizen” made the 911 call. The NYPD itself has said that it is investigating this possibility. Furthermore, the law firm representing the family also wants to ascertain whether the officers left the scene with their sirens off.

Parra’s family was “pretty devastated by his death,” said Jeremy Feigenbaum, an attorney with Spodek who is involved with the case. He said that they’ve been “constantly experiencing trauma . . . just laying awake at night, thinking about how he had been burned alive . . . and had his dreams unfulfilled.”

“Police have to serve their community,” Feigenbaum said. “It’s unconscionable. The two officers wouldn’t have done this if it were their own families. Parra’s family deserves their day in court.”