ALBANY – Nearly 20 months after two passengers in his car died in an allegedly alcohol-fueled, high-speed crash on the Thruway, Tyler S. Pascuzzi was arraigned Monday on an indictment that accuses him of manslaughter.
Pascuzzi was arraigned at 9 a.m. by state Supreme Court Justice Thomas Breslin. He pleaded not guilty and will remain free on $250,000 bail.
An Albany County grand jury indicted Pascuzzi on 14 counts including the two manslaughter charges.
State Police charged Pascuzzi, of Coxsackie, with aggravated vehicular homicide, driving while intoxicated and other felonies a few days after the crash.
The courtroom was packed for the arraignment. Afterward, Tamboia’s mother followed Pascuzzi out of the court room and demanded he “look” at her. Her family intervened.
A picture found on one of the passengers’ cellphones taken minutes before the crash shows the speedometer on Pascuzzi’s Volkswagen GTI registering nearly 150 mph.
Pascuzzi, who suffered cuts to his body, was hospitalized after the crash. He was free on $250,000 bail.
The crash occurred just before midnight between exits 24 and 25 on the Thruway
