Healdsburg man killed by allegedly drunk off-duty NYC cop

A 21-year-old Healdsburg man died early Saturday morning after an SUV being driven by an allegedly drunk police officer struck him on a New York City street, according to police.

Around 3 a.m. Saturday, New York City police responded to Bedford Avenue near North Eighth Street in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn after a person had called 911 to report a crash, police said.

Upon arrival, officers saw a single-vehicle crash involving a 2012 Dodge Durango and four pedestrians. The pedestrians had been struck by the SUV along the sidewalk, according to police.

The four pedestrians, a 21-year-old man, a 22-year-old woman, a 23-year-old woman and 24-year-old man, were all taken to a hospital.

The 21-year-old victim, identified as former Healdsburg High School student Andrew Esquivel, later died at the hospital, police said.

The three other victims were listed in stable condition.

Esquivel was a student at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he participated on the wrestling team and was majoring in computer science, according to the school’s website.

The driver of the SUV was identified as 28-year-old Nicholas Batka, a police officer with the New York City Police Department.

Batka was taken to a hospital and was listed in stable condition, according to police.

Investigators determined Batka, who was off-duty at the time, was driving west on North Eight Street and turned right onto Bedford Avenue when he mounted the sidewalk, striking the four pedestrians, police said.

Batka was taken into custody and arrested on suspicion of manslaughter, vehicular manslaughter, assault, driving while intoxicated, driving while impaired and driving on the sidewalk, according to police.

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