Sean Smith (40) and Deo Ramnarine (43) were sentenced this week for their involvement in a tragic car crash that occurred in Queens last May. The incident involved their at-the-time-16-year-old son, who was driving a bright red 2005 BMW E46 gifted to him by his parents.
The young driver, who held only a “junior driver’s license,” had not earned the privilege of driving without supervision, or within the boundaries of New York City. While allegedly driving at 101 miles per hour in a 35 zone, the boy crashed the car headlong into a UPS truck. Tragically, the boy’s 14-year-old passenger, Fortune Williams, was pronounced dead at the scene. This is believed to be the first prosecution of its kind in New York.
New York State Supreme Court Justice Michael Yavinsky sentenced Smith and Ramnarine after they both pleaded guilty to child endangerment charges. As part of their sentence, they were ordered to take a 26-week parenting course. Additionally, Smith was given an extra three years of probation.
“The parents of a 16-year-old gave their son a BMW when he did not have legal authority to drive it anywhere in New York City,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said in a statement.“We allege that because of the teenager’s actions 14-year-old Fortune Williams is now dead after she was thrown from the car when it crashed into a UPS truck at more than 100 miles per hour. Parents who provide vehicles to their children and let them drive illegally can be held responsible in the case of tragedies such as this one.”
According to investigators, the boy who is now 17, may face up to 15 years in prison due to a pending manslaughter case and other charges. It was discovered that he had been driving the BMW to school since November 2022, despite not being legally allowed to do so. Furthermore, he had previously received a ticket for driving without a license and using a portable electronic device while driving.
