The ex-girlfriend of a drunk driver accused of hitting and killing three people celebrating Independence Day in a Manhattan park said she was shocked but “not surprised” when she learned of his involvement.
Daniel Christopher Hyden’s former partner, with whom he has a 12-year-old daughter, told The Washington Post on Friday that Hyden had struggled with alcoholism for years and had once warned her that “this would happen to you someday.”
“He was supposed to be sober but clearly he wasn’t,” said the woman, who did not want to be identified.
“This is devastating because he hurt people and killed people. I’m very hurt,” she said.
“But I’m not surprised,” she continued.
“Okay, I’m not surprised. His issues are the reason we’re not together.”
Hyden, a self-described drug addict and substance abuse counselor, was charged with drunk driving after he allegedly plowed his truck into a crowd celebrating Independence Day at Corey’s Hook Park on the Lower East Side.
The ex-girlfriend said she had just met Hyden last weekend after dropping off their daughter at his home in the Bronx and the pair went to a fair in New Jersey.
She said she felt “terrible” after learning what had happened.
“I told him this was going to happen one day. I told him that,” she said.
She said Hyden, 44, has a “long history of alcoholism,” but it’s unclear whether she remains sober since they split in 2016. His father, she said, also struggled with the same addiction.
“After we split up, he became a certified alcohol and drug counsellor and went back to school to better himself,” she said.
“He definitely wanted to quit. He definitely wanted to do good. But he was sick. It’s a lifelong illness.”
She said his alcoholism made it difficult for him to hold down a job, and he briefly worked as a police officer in Georgia.
Hyden is accused of driving a gray Ford F-150 through the intersection of Water and Jackson streets, crashing into a sidewalk and into a park, hitting 11 people who were having a barbecue.
Three people died.
Police identified the deceased victims as Lucille Pinckney, 59, her son Hernan Pinckney, 38, and Ana Morell, 43, who lived together near the scene of the crash.
Police said park visitors who witnessed the horrific incident prevented Heiden from leaving the horrific scene until police arrived.
Hyden is charged with aggravated vehicular manslaughter, operating a vehicle while intoxicated and driving without a license, as well as eight counts of second-degree assault.
According to neighbors and his Facebook profile, Hyden was a U.S. Army veteran.
He has written a book titled “The Sober Addict,” published in 2020, which is described as “a practical guide on how to effectively live with and cope with the dysfunctional, lifelong illness of addiction.”
Hayden too Have a YouTube channel There, he calls himself a Certified Addiction Recovery Coach and Certified Personal Trainer, offering addiction advice and training videos.
One Bronx neighbor, who declined to give his name, said he was shocked to learn Hyden had been involved in such a horrific incident and called him a “good guy” and a “funny guy.”
“He’s healthy. He works out. He goes to the gym,” she told The Post.
“It was probably an accident. We don’t know what’s going on,” she added.
“He was nice to me. He would say ‘good morning’ only to me. Not to anyone, just to me,” she said.
Miguel, the building’s caretaker, described him as a “quiet” guy who didn’t talk much to others.
“I thought he was a good guy,” he said.
