A driver has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for fatally hitting a disabled man while attempting to target another vehicle on a sidewalk in Queens, authorities reported on Monday.
Kiani Phoenix, 29, was involved in a confrontation with her boyfriend’s sister outside a deli in Far Rockaway back in August 2022. In the midst of this heated argument, she accelerated her Honda Accord toward the sister, but instead struck Milton Storch, 59, who was sitting defenseless in front of the store, according to the Queens District Attorney’s Office.
Video footage captured the horrific incident, showing Phoenix’s car careening off the sidewalk and colliding with Storch, pinning him against the wall.
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz stated, “Kiani Phoenix made a reckless decision to try and use her car to settle a dispute with another woman.” She further added that, tragically, an innocent man, unable to move quickly from her path, lost his life that day.
Katz expressed hope that the sentencing would provide some solace to Storch’s family, who continue to mourn his loss.
The sentence was delivered by Supreme Court Justice Kenneth Holder on Friday following Phoenix’s guilty plea to first-degree manslaughter on October 9.
Reports indicate that the unfortunate series of events began with a physical altercation between Phoenix and her boyfriend’s 27-year-old sister outside Lohan Deli around 7 a.m.
After the argument escalated, Phoenix returned to the car, shifted it into reverse, and veered toward the sister, who quickly retreated into the deli to escape. Storch, however, who was using a walker, was not able to get out of the way and became a victim of the collision.
Prosecutors noted that after hitting Storch, Phoenix fled the scene.
Her lawyer, Robert Osuna, commented that the plea deal and sentence offer a way for everyone involved to find closure, even though he believed 18 years was a harsh sentence. He mentioned that Phoenix accepts her responsibilities and sends prayers to the victim’s family daily, referring to her as a “wonderful person” who made a terrible error in judgment.
Osuna and a former attorney for Phoenix, Marvin Kornberg, suggested that her experience of being a victim of domestic violence contributed to the tragic incident. They noted that she was assaulted before she got into the car, which added complexity to her case.
Kornberg remarked, “She is a victim of domestic violence,” but acknowledged that the law does not always reflect those circumstances adequately.
