Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
No charges yet for NYPD sergeant in fatal crash, but she's already filed for pension
By
Charles Lane
Published Jan 28, 2026
Share
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 .
Michelle Brittain/Getty Images
By
Charles Lane
Published Jan 28, 2026
Share
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 off-duty NYPD sergeant who drove the wrong way on the Taconic State Parkway and killed a Peekskill man last week has filed for retirement, records show – a move that could preserve her pension if she is not fired following a potential arrest.
Last Thursday, Sgt. Tiffany Howell was returning from a police function, traveling north on the Westchester highway, when she drove southbound in the northbound lanes and collided head-on with Manuel Boitel, 61, killing him, according to the New York State Police.
As of Wednesday, she had not been charged with a crime. State police said they were still examining her blood alcohol level almost a week after the crash.
Neither Howell, her lawyers, nor the union representing NYPD sergeants responded to multiple requests for comment.
According to social media posts, Howell is the treasurer of the NYPD Holy Name Society, a Catholic fraternal organization that held a social event in Scarsdale the night of the crash. According to another post, Howell helped organize the $150 dinner and cigar event featuring an open bar at Mom's Cigar Warehouse, about 10 miles from the site of the accident.
Howell worked in the department's Crime Control Strategies unit and has been with the NYPD for 18 years.
The department can fire Howell in the next 30 days, effectively denying her pension. A department spokesperson did not return requests for comment.
The New York attorney general's office is also investigating the incident, as required under state law when a police officer is involved in a death.
Tagged
public safety
transportation
Charles Lane
Charles is a Day-of reporter focused on breaking news and enterprise. He’s very friendly and can be reached at [email protected], or more securely on whatsapp/signal 631-295-6715
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Dump truck driver hits and kills cyclist on 34th Street in Midtown, NYPD says
It's the latest in a string of hit-and-run deaths in the city in recent months.
By
Liam Quigley
Published Sep 28, 2026 at 4:15 p.m. ET
New ingredient mandated for Latin American kitchen, restaurant plates in NJ
The Garden State now requires that corn masa dough and flour made and sold in the state be fortified with folic acid.
By
Arya Sundaram
News
New ingredient mandated for Latin American kitchen, restaurant plates in NJ
The Garden State now requires that corn masa dough and flour made and sold in the state be fortified with folic acid.
By
Arya Sundaram
A Brooklyn jail cell filled with smoke. The emergency button failed, a lawyer said.
By
Samantha Max
Crews launch tunnel machines to dig first new Hudson River rail tunnels since 1910
By
Michael Sol Warren
NYC nor’easter dries up after weather service reports minor flooding
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
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 .