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Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas said that Dana King, Jr., age 24, of Valley Stream, was sentenced on Wednesday, Jan. 27, to prison time and three years of post-release supervision.
The incident took place on Tuesday, March 18, 2019, at 11:30 p.m., the victim, 22-year-old Jim Hayes, Jr., picked up Isabel Rodriguez from her Valley Stream home in a lime green 2007 BMW, the DA's Office said.
About a block from the house, the woman noticed her ex-boyfriend, King, driving a black 2009 Audi behind them. King then began to chase their vehicle at a high rate of speed from Valley Stream to Hempstead, at times making contact with the BMW, police said.
While on Baldwin Avenue in Hempstead, King's vehicle struck the Audi, causing it to become airborne and crash into a tree. The force of the crash caused the King's vehicle to continue out-of-control, crashing into two parked cars, spinning, and ultimately coming to rest several hundred feet from the initial area of impact.
The impact killed Hayes, who was pronounced dead at the scene and caused serious injury to Rodriguez, who was transported to Nassau University Medical Center where she was treated for a broken arm and broken back.
“Dana King’s obsession with his ex-girlfriend went from stalking to a maniacal high-speed car chase in a matter of minutes and ended in a crash that permanently injured the young woman and killed Jim Hayes – just because Hayes was driving a car with her in it,” DA Singas said.
“This is not a case of ‘lovesickness.’ This is a case of a defendant’s need to criminally control another person’s life, and Dana King senselessly killed a 22-year old father in the process. Our thoughts are with Ms. Rodriguez and the Hayes family," she added.
King pleaded guilty in November to manslaughter and assault.
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