The 23-year-old man who was seen in a viral video hailing a cab at the scene of a fiery crash and leaving his friend — who reports claim was his girlfriend — trapped inside the burning car to die has been indicted, according to Acting District Attorney Eric Gonzalez.
The defendant – Saeed Ahmad of Marine Park – has been indicted on charges of depraved indifference murder, vehicular manslaughter, leaving the scene of an incident and related accounts for allegedly causing the car crash, which occurred on the Gowanus Expressway on Friday, October 13, and leaving his passenger – 25-year-old Harleen Grewal – to die.
According to the investigation, at approximately 4 a.m. that morning, Ahmad was driving his Infiniti sedan at an excessive speed while returning home from a night out in Manhattan with Grewal. Authorities say he was attempting to pass another vehicle when he crashed into a side barrier between the Hamilton Avenue and Prospect Expressway exits, causing his car to explode and burst into flames.
Evidence shows Ahmad then getting out of the burning car and getting into a cab without calling 911 or alerting anyone that Grewal was still inside the vehicle. She died at the scene.
Ahmad was arrested later that morning, at which time tests determined that his blood alcohol level at the time of the crash was well above the legal limit.
“This defendant’s alleged actions before and after crashing his car caused the death of a vibrant young woman who had her entire life ahead of her,” said Gonzalez. “He showed complete disregard for human life and for the safety of everyone using our roadways, making the very serious charges he now faces wholly appropriate.”
Ahmad was ordered held without bail and to return to court on January 12, 2018. He faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted of the top count.