Drug Impaired Hudson Valley Driver Guilty of Vehicular Manslaughter

A Hudson Valley man was sentenced to prison in connection with vehicular manslaughter and driving while on drugs.

On October 19, 2014, 35-year-old Antoine Simmons, of Yonkers lost control and crashed his vehicle while driving at a high speed on Rumsey Road in Yonkers.

Officials say Simmons hit a tree so hard that his 2001 Lincoln Town was split in half.

A female sitting in the front seat, who was not wearing a seat-belt at the time of the crash, was killed instantly.

Simmons was taken to Jacobi Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries.

According to the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office, an investigation determined that Simmons was under the influence of PCP and marijuana at the time of the crash.

In March, Simmons was found guilty of vehicular manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, operating a vehicle while ability impaired by drugs, all felonies, reckless driving, and aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, misdemeanors.

Thursday in Westchester County Court, Simmons was sentenced to 3 and a half to seven years in prison. He was remanded to the custody of the New York State Department of Corrections.