New York, US: A Manhattan man accused of driving drunk through a crowded park on July 4 allegedly only came to a stop after the bodies of his victims became trapped beneath his car, prosecutors revealed Monday in chilling new details presented before a New York Supreme Court judge.
The suspect, identified as 31-year-old Derek Alvarez of the Lower East Side, faces multiple counts of vehicular homicide, manslaughter, and driving under the influence after allegedly plowing his SUV into a group of Independence Day revelers gathered in Riverside Park.
The Deadly Drive
According to investigators, Alvarez was speeding northbound shortly before midnight after leaving a nearby waterfront bar where he had been drinking for several hours. Witnesses described his black Range Rover tearing down the park’s service road at nearly 70 miles per hour while fireworks still lit up the sky overhead.
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Moments later, Alvarez’s vehicle veered off the paved road and into a crowd of picnickers. The crash instantly killed three people — a mother, her teenage son, and a visiting student from Columbia University. A fourth victim, a 25-year-old man, succumbed to his injuries days later at Mount Sinai Hospital.
Prosecutors said Alvarez showed no signs of slowing down as the crowd screamed and scattered. Instead, his vehicle continued forward until it became immobilized by “resistance under the wheels” — later determined to be the bodies of two victims trapped beneath the chassis.
“He Just Kept Going”
Assistant District Attorney Lauren Cohen recounted in court that Alvarez “drove through human beings as though they were speed bumps,” horrifying families and parkgoers who had gathered for the holiday.
“We’re talking about a man who had multiple opportunities to stop, who was repeatedly warned by bystanders yelling at him,” Cohen said. “But he kept pushing the gas. The only thing that stopped him were the bodies under his car.”
Police responding to frantic 911 calls arrived minutes later to find Alvarez sitting behind the wheel, allegedly dazed and reeking of alcohol. Officers reported seeing extensive blood and debris caked on the front bumper and undercarriage of the vehicle.
A Troubled History
Court documents show this was not Alvarez’s first brush with dangerous driving. He had prior arrests related to reckless operation of a motor vehicle and a suspended license due to a misdemeanor DUI conviction in 2022.
Despite this, sources said Alvarez’s license was reinstated earlier this year after completing a mandatory rehabilitation program. Prosecutors now argue that the system “failed catastrophically” by allowing him back on the road.
“He never should have been behind the wheel on that night — not after the history he had,” said Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg during a press briefing Tuesday morning. “Four New Yorkers lost their lives because accountability came too late.”
Family Grief and Outrage
Relatives of the victims filled the courtroom during the hearing, many clutching photos of loved ones lost in the crash.
“They went to watch fireworks, not to die under someone’s car,” said Maria Gonzalez, the aunt of 17-year-old victim Luis Rivera, fighting back tears outside the courthouse. “I don’t believe in accidents when someone is that drunk and still chooses to drive.”
Another family member yelled “monster” as Alvarez was led out of the courtroom by deputies. He did not speak during the arraignment, only glancing occasionally at the gallery filled with crying family members.
The Legal Battle Ahead
Prosecutors are pursuing the steepest possible charges, including four counts of second-degree murder under New York’s “depraved indifference” standard — a rarely used provision that applies when conduct displays extreme disregard for human life.
Defense attorney Michael Reyes, however, argued that Alvarez was “deeply remorseful” and “not a murderer,” asserting that the crash was a tragic accident fueled by intoxication rather than intent.
“The state is overreaching,” Reyes told reporters after the hearing. “What Mr. Alvarez did was reckless, yes — but he was impaired. He didn’t get behind that wheel intending to kill. He wants to take responsibility, but not for something he didn’t mean to do.”
A grand jury is expected to decide within the next two weeks whether to indict Alvarez on the upgraded murder charges. He is currently being held without bail at Rikers Island.
A Call for Reform
The July 4 crash has reignited the debate over New York’s drunk driving penalties and license reinstatement procedures. Several lawmakers, led by State Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins, are calling for stronger restrictions on repeat offenders, including permanent license revocation for drivers convicted of multiple DUIs within five years.
“This tragedy exposes a clear hole in our laws,” Stewart-Cousins said in a statement. “If someone proves through repeated actions that they cannot be trusted to drive safely, there must be a point where we say: no more chances.”
Public outrage has also pressured the city’s Department of Motor Vehicles to launch an internal review of how Alvarez was cleared to drive again earlier this year.
Remembering the Victims
A memorial vigil held in Riverside Park on Sunday drew hundreds of mourners carrying candles and flowers. People gathered around the crash site, where children’s toys, handwritten notes, and photos now mark the quiet spot that was once filled with laughter and fireworks.
Friends and family of the four victims say they plan to start a foundation advocating for stricter DUI laws in New York City.
“They were good people with plans, with dreams,” said a family member of one victim. “The least we can do is fight so that no one else’s July 4 ends like this.”
The Next Court Date
Alvarez is due back in court on November 4 for a preliminary hearing. If convicted on all charges, he could face up to life in prison.
Until then, the community of Manhattan continues to mourn — and to wonder how a night meant for freedom and celebration turned into one of the city’s darkest Independence Days.
