Guilty Plea For Driver In Deadly Harlem Hit-And-Run: DA

HARLEM, NY - A Tennessee man pleaded guilty last week in connection with a 2020 hit-and-run crash in Harlem that killed one individual and hospitalized two others, authorities said.

Jason Clotter, 34, pleaded guilty to one count of manslaughter; one count of assault and one count of leaving the scene of an incident without reporting, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr. said Wednesday.

Clotter fled New York State following the Feb. 17, 2020 crash and was extradited from Knoxville, Tennessee last year, officials said. He is expected to be sentenced on Nov. 30 to between 7 to 12 years in state prison, officials said.

At the time of the collision, Clotter was driving north on Park Avenue at double the legal speed limit when he ran through two red lights at the intersections of East 128th and 129th Streets, Bragg said.

As he sped through Park Avenue and 129th Street, Clotter's vehicle collided into a vehicle driving for Uber, causing the second vehicle to careen into the parking area underneath the elevated train tracks on Park Avenue, officials said.

The crash severely injured Uber passenger Deborah Yvonne Gray, who was extracted from the car by first responders using the “Jaws of Life” tool.

Gray, 63, a visitor from Maryland who had hired the Uber to drive her to the George Washington Bridge bus terminal per the New York Daily News, died six weeks later from her injuries.

The Uber driver also sustained serious injuries, police said.

Immediately following the crash, Clotter climbed through his sunroof and left the scene with his passenger who had sustained serious injuries, Bragg's office said. He fled New York within days of the incident and wound up in Tennessee.

“Today’s guilty plea ensures there will be significant accountability for this fatal hit and run," Bragg said. "Reckless driving continues to be a scourge on our streets, and far too many families like Ms. Gray’s are mourning the loss of loved ones who have been killed by dangerous drivers. We will continue to treat traffic violence with the seriousness it requires.”