FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, October 14, 2021
Driver Charged with Assault and Reckless Manslaughter for Allegedly Striking 3-Month-Old Baby and Her Mother While Driving the Wrong Way
Crashed into Vehicle, Causing Both Cars to Enter Crosswalk and Strike Stroller, Killing Baby and Seriously Wounding Her Mom, Then Allegedly Attempted to Highjack Another Car
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a Brooklyn man has been charged with first-degree assault, second-degree manslaughter and numerous other charges in connection with a car crash that was caused when he allegedly drove against traffic on a one-way street and collided with another vehicle, striking a family that was crossing the street with a stroller. A baby, 3-month-old Apolline Mong Guillemin, died and her mother sustained serious injuries.
District Attorney Gonzalez said, “This defendant allegedly drove in a shockingly reckless and criminal manner and destroyed a family in a matter of seconds. A young baby lost her life and her mother suffered life-altering injuries in a case of vehicular violence that simply cannot be tolerated. We intend to now seek justice for little Apolline and will continue to aggressively prosecute unlawful drivers who show disregard for the rules of the road and for the lives of everyone using Brooklyn’s streets.”
The District Attorney identified the defendant as Tyrik Mott, 29, of Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. He was arraigned today by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun on a 22-count indictment in which he is charged with first- and second-degree assault, second-degree manslaughter, leaving the scene of an incident, reckless endangerment, and related charges. He faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted of the top count. Bail was set at $150,000 cash or $350,000 bond and he was ordered to return to court on November 30, 2021.
The District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, on September 11, 2021 at approximately 6 p.m., the defendant allegedly drove a Honda Civic eastbound on a portion of Gates Avenue that is a westbound one-way street. He entered the intersection at Vanderbilt Avenue, a two-way street, and collided with another Honda Civic driving north with the light. The two cars then struck a couple crossing Gates Avenue inside the crosswalk with a stroller.
#
An indictment is an accusatory instrument and not proof of a defendant’s guilt.