111 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
White Plains, NY 10601
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March 11, 2016 -- Acting Westchester County District Attorney James A. McCarty announced that Clifford Perkins (DOB 06/08/89) of 8 Byron Street, New City, New York pled guilty today 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 a high rates of speed.
Another witness told investigators that 11-12 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 the defendant'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, then struck the center guide rail and re-entered 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 reconstructionist 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.
His motorcycle became engulfed in flames. The accident reconstructionist calculated that 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 remains out on bail.
He is due to be sentenced on June 1, 2016.
The defendant faces one and a third to four years in prison.
Assistant District Attorney Jean Prisco of the Superior Court Trial Division is prosecuting the case.
