Gothamist

A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.

Gothamist

WNYC Listen Live

Donate

News

Driver Who Killed 9-Year-Old While Fleeing Cops Gets At Least Four Years In Prison

Emma Whitford

Published May 8, 2015

Modified May 8, 2015

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail

Never miss a story

Email address

By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .

Emma Whitford

Published May 8, 2015

Modified May 8, 2015

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail

We rely on your support to make local news available to all

Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

The driver who slammed into a mini-van in Canarsie last year and killed a 9-year-old girl who was in the back seat has been sentenced to four-to-twelve years in prison.

The fatal accident took place on May 4th of last year, and it was 63-year-old Kenneth Palache's second collision of the evening. Around 5 p.m., Palache ran a red light at the corner of East 87th Street and Foster Avenue, and collided with an SUV carrying a family of five. No one was seriously injured, but Palache, who was driving on a suspended license, fled the scene.

Police pulled him over within a mile, at the corner of Remsen Avenue and Avenue L. However, Panache fled the traffic stop, topping 50 miles per hour in two blocks, the News reports.

Driving south on Remsen, Palache ran a stoplight and collided with a westbound Hyundai Elantra at the corner of Avenue N. Nine-year-old Rebecca Ranmarine was riding in the Hyundai with family friends, having just attended church services. Jaws of life were required to open the totaled Hyundai, and Ranmarine was pronounced dead upon arrival at Brookdale Hospital. The driver, Esther Cummings, and her 11-year-old daughter Faith also suffered injuries.

Panache's lawyer Darren Fields told the News yesterday that his client was upset and distracted on the day of the accident because his daughter had just gone through a twin miscarriage. Fields told reporters, “He can’t really explain his actions, but he takes full responsibility." Palanche pleaded guilty to manslaughter and two counts of assault.

The Post reports that Rebecca's father Richard addressed the court yesterday. "There are no winners today," he said. "No amount of punishment is appropriate to ease the pain we feel one year later."

Still, according to the News, Richard Ranmarine expressed forgiveness in the immediate aftermath of yesterday's sentencing. “Knowing who my daughter was, she would not want us to hold him accountable,” he said. “She would forgive him.”

For his own part, Panache said, "I’d like to apologize to the people who are hurting. I mean that from the bottom of my heart." Fields suspects that his client will serve at least eight years.

Tagged

brooklyn

crash

kenneth palache

rebecca ranmarine

Emma Whitford

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

MORE news

Rain could put a damper on NYC’s long weekend. Here’s when it will clear.

Remnants of Hurricane Isaias could bring more than an inch of rain, gusty winds and even a thunderstorm Sunday before conditions improve Monday.

Brittany Kriegstein

Published Oct 10, 2026 at 10:57 a.m. ET

Holy civics! NYC schools' own comic books in the spotlight at Comic Con

Comic Con continues through Sunday.

Jessica Gould

News

Holy civics! NYC schools' own comic books in the spotlight at Comic Con

Comic Con continues through Sunday.

Jessica Gould

What we know about the ICE shooting in NYC

Karen Yi

DSA to Mamdani: Fire NYPD commissioner if ICE doesn't leave NYC

Elizabeth Kim

Brigid Bergin

and

Ben Feuerherd

Two people killed in Bronx vehicle crash

Kaya Laterman

Never miss a story

Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.

Sign upEmail address

By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .