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Oct. 14, 2016 -- Acting Westchester County District Attorney James A. McCarty announced today that Clifford Perkins (DOB 06/08/89) of 8 Byron St., New City, NY was sentenced to one and a third to four years in state prison after having pled guilty on March 3, 2016 to:

  • one count of Criminally Negligent Homicide, a class “E” Felony

relating to the death of Scott Phillips.

On May 25, 2014 at approximately 12:34 p.m. on the Sprain Brook Parkway, the defendant was operating his 2002 Yamaha motorcycle. The victim, Scott Phillips, was operating his 2013 BMW motorcycle in the left lane of the Parkway while a third party, Edward Murray, was operating his 2001 Mazda vehicle in the center lane. 

The Mazda operator told Investigators he was traveling southbound on the Parkway when several motorcycles past him at high rates of speed.

Another witness told investigators that 11 to 12 motorcycles went past him in the left lane at approximately 90-100 miles per hour.

Moments later, he observed another motorcycle coming up behind him at a high rate of speed. He saw that motorcycle, later identified as the defendant’s motorcycle, start to wobble just before it struck his vehicle from behind.

Subsequent accident reconstruction by the New York State Police determined that Perkin’s motorcycle struck the rear bumper of the Mazda, causing the vehicle to rotate counter clockwise while crossing into the left lane and left shoulder of the roadway, striking the center guide rail and re-entering the left lane of travel.

The defendant was ejected from his motorcycle and came to rest on the right shoulder.  His motorcycle became engulfed in flames. The accident reconstruction calculated that the defendant’s motorcycle had a minimum speed of 82-95 miles per hour after the impact with the Mazda.

When the Mazda re-entered the left lane after striking the center guide rail, the victim’s motorcycle struck the car’s passenger side. He was ejected from his motorcycle and came to rest down an embankment off the right shoulder of the roadway.

Phillip’s motorcycle also became engulfed in flames. The accident reconstruction calculated that the victim’s motorcycle had a minimum speed of 58-67 miles per hour after the impact with the Mazda.

At the time of the collision, the defendant possessed a revoked and suspended New York State License with a cancelled motorcycle endorsement.  

The defendant failed to appear on his original sentencing date of Aug. 3, 2016. At that time a fugitive warrant was issued. The Westchester County Police Warrant Squad, with the assistance of United States Customs, arrested Perkins on Aug. 20, 2016 at LaGuardia Airport. He had purchased a plane ticket for a flight to Miami, Florida with a further connection to Jamaica.