Armonk Man Charged In Fatal Bronx Hit And Run

ARMONK, N.Y. – A 37-year-old Armonk man accused in a fatal Bronx hit-and-run early Saturday told police he was drinking and smoking marijuana before the crash, according to the official NYPD police report. 

Richard Haberman is accused of speeding through a red light at the intersection of 170th Street and the Grand Concourse and hitting two pedestrians. He only stopped when his car crashed head-on into the ambulance responding to the accident, police said. 

“I’ve been drinking. I just came from a bar,” Haberman said according to a sworn police report from New York City Police Officer John Dooley. “I’m not a bad guy. I just smoked marijuana a few hours ago.”

Haberman’s blood alcohol content was .234 percent at the time of the incident and he had trouble standing, police said.

Police say Haberman struck Juan Rivera-Quintana and Ariel Rivera at the intersection of East 170th Street and Grand Concourse, and that Rivera-Quintana died. 

Haberman sped through a red light and struck the two as they crossed the street, police said. He drove through several more red lights before his 2011 Honda Civic hit a FDNY ambulance, police said.  

Police say Rivera was taken to a local Bronx hospital with a broken femur, arm and jaw as well as internal injuries. The ambulance driver, Jason Saffon, suffered burns on his arm. 

Haberman was arraigned on multiple charges related to the fatal crash including: aggravated vehicular homicide, vehicular manslaughter in the first degree, leaving the scene of an accident, operating a motor vehicle under the influence of a drug or alcohol, assault, harassment and reckless driving. He was being held without bail and is scheduled to appear in the Bronx County Courthouse on July 19. 

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