I.P. man pleads guilty in deadly Queens crash

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An Island Park man pleaded guilty to first-degree vehicular manslaughter and driving while intoxicated charges after slamming into the back of a parked yellow school bus on the morning of Dec. 18, 2015 in East Flushing and killing his female passenger.

Kyung R. Song, 29, of Island Park appeared before Supreme Court Justice Dorothy Chin-Brant on July 18.

According to the charges, Song was driving a black 2014 Porsche in the very early morning when he crashed into the back of a parked yellow school bus in front of P.S. 22, Thomas Jefferson Elementary School.

When police arrived at the scene, they observed that the Porsche had severe front-end damage, Song was unconscious in the driver’s seat, and his passenger was in the front passenger seat. Police observed that Song had bloodshot and watery eyes and a strong odor of alcohol on his breath and that the passenger had sustained massive head injuries, from which she died shortly thereafter.

According to the complaint, Song stated to police while at the hospital that he was driving 33 miles per hour when he came around a curve in the road and his tire slipped, causing him to hit the back of the school bus. He also told police that they were coming from a bar, and that he drank six beers and three shots of liquor.

The crash was on a residential street in front the school, where the unposted speed limit is 25 mph. A portable breath test administered to Song showed a blood alcohol content of .176, which is above the legal limit of .08.

Song has been free on bail since his arraignment in December 2015. He will be sentenced Sept. 15 to 3 ½ to 10 years in prison. After he is released he will have to install an interlock device on any car he operates for the next two years.