Driver Pleads Guilty In Fatal East Side Crash, Prosecutors Say

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — A 53-year-old man pleaded guilty to manslaughter Tuesday, more than a year after taking a high-speed driving spree through Upper East Side and East Harlem streets, which killed one pedestrian and injured another, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said.

The fatal incident unfolded on the afternoon of July 29, 2024, when Angel Melendez sped up First Avenue from East 96th Street around 3:40 p.m., weaving erratically between lanes, Bragg said.

He swerved to avoid pedestrians, at one point striking a woman's shopping cart and narrowly missing several others, Bragg said.

Then, Melendez blew through a red light at East 105th Street and First Avenue, slamming into a parked motorcycle and a car, causing a chain reaction that killed Nadjari Reid, 51, who was standing between two parked cars at the moment, Bragg said.

Another pedestrian was injured in the chain-reaction crash and survived, Bragg said.

"This type of reckless driving — swerving in and out of traffic lines at high speeds — can have deadly consequences," Bragg said.

"This was a horrific instance of vehicular violence, and my thoughts continue to be with Mr. Reid’s loved ones."

Melendez’s 14-year-old son was in the vehicle at the time, Bragg said.

On Tuesday, Melendez pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree manslaughter, third-degree assault and second-degree reckless endangerment, Bragg said. He is expected to be sentenced to a minimum of 4-and-a-half years in prison on Feb. 24, Bragg said.

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