The drunk driver accused of hitting 10 people, killing three, at a Fourth of July celebration on the Lower East Side is a substance abuse counselor and author of “The Sober Addict,” who claims his passion is helping “prevent death,” The Washington Post has learned.
According to police, Daniel Christopher Hayden, 44, was arrested and charged with DUI after he allegedly drove a gray Ford F-150 through the intersection of Water and Jackson streets, onto the sidewalk and into people, including children, celebrating in Corears Hook Park.
He will also be charged in the deaths at a later date, Kors told The Post.
Hyden, who has lived in New Jersey and the Bronx, wrote a book in 2020 called “The Sober Addict,” which is billed as “a practical guide on how to effectively live with and cope with the dysfunctional, lifelong illness of addiction.”
“The Sober Addict is a book for anyone who suffers from the disease of addiction. In DC Hyden’s book, addicts, their families, advocates and supporters will find unconventional ways to combat addiction from onset to remission,” the synopsis reads.
“This guide will help you learn how to live with a chronic, dysfunctional illness.”
In the book, Hyden describes himself as “an ex-professional addict with over 18 years of use and abuse experience” and argues that “addicts don’t choose addiction, addiction chooses them.”
“My passion is helping people with drug addiction navigate the various ‘stages of change’ to prevent death,” he wrote.
Hyden’s Amazon author profile describes him as a substance abuse counselor, instructor, speaker and wellness advocate in New York City.
“His mission is to use his lifetime of addiction experience to teach addicts how to help themselves and achieve long-term recovery,” the statement reads.
Two of the people killed late Thursday were identified as Lucille Pinckney, 59, and her son Hernan Pinckney, 38, who lived together near the crash scene, but the third person had not been identified as of early Friday morning.
The seven others injured included a mother and her 11-year-old son, officials said.
The injured were rushed to Bellevue, NewYork-Presbyterian Downtown, Mount Sinai Beth Israel and NYU Langone. FDNY Chief Michael Myers said four people were alive and three were in critical condition.
Two people suffered minor injuries and were treated.
Police said Hyden suffered lacerations to his head and face and was taken to Bellevue Hospital.
Hyden’s criminal record also includes an assault in February, when he was charged with assault and harassment following an altercation with a teacher in New York, where he allegedly punched the victim in the eye.
According to court records, Hyden was indicted in Wisconsin in 2015 on traffic and drunk driving charges, pleading guilty to the former and dismissing the latter.
