White Plains firefighter guilty in fatal wrong-way crash
Erik Refvik is expected to face a sentence of between five and 15 years in prison when he is sentenced Sept. 25
White Plains Firefighter Erik Refvik pleaded guilty to aggravated homicide and other charges Friday for an alcohol and drug-fueled wrong-way crash in November that killed a newspaper delivery woman and critically injured her former husband.
Refvik was promised a sentence of between five and 15 years in state prison in exchange for his guilty plea to all of the charges in the 16-count indictment. He could have received up to 25 years on each of the top felony counts alone.
"The court made this offer in order to bring finality to these proceedings," Acting State Supreme Court Justice Barry Warhit said. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 25.
Refvik, who had been free on $50,000 bail, was taken into custody immediately after Friday's hearing. As his hands were cuffed behind him, he turned and nodded to a large contingent of friends and family in the courtroom to support him. There did not appear to be anyone in court on behalf of the victims.
Assistant District Attorney Michelle Lopez noted Refvik could have faced a steeper maximum sentence "given the egregious nature in which this event unfolded," and said prosecutors had hoped he would receive six to 18 years in prison.
Nevertheless, Westchester District Attorney said in a statement afterward that "as a result of his actions that night, this defendant has pled guilty to the most serious DWI charge in New York State and will face substantial time in state prison.".
Refvik, 34, had been arraigned in March on the indictment charging him with aggravated homicide, aggravated manslaughter, vehicular assault, drunk driving, drug possession and numerous traffic infractions in the Nov. 3 head-on crash that killed Reyda LaMadrid, 47, of Harrison and injured 49-year-old Edgar Lopez.
The horrific collision occurred at 4:30 a.m. after prosecutors said Refvik went on a 12-hour drinking binge at local bars and ingested a "cocktail of drugs," including cocaine, sedatives and bath salts. His blood alcohol level was 0.21 percent — nearly three times the legal limit — when he sped in his Chevrolet Tahoe about 1/3 of a mile the wrong way on South Lexington Avenue, slamming into the pair's Honda Civic.
Refvik then reversed his SUV and smashed into the lobby of an apartment building.
He then allegedly told emergency responders: "What a way to end a Sunday fun day."
Map: Refvik's route
Document: Read the indictment in the Refvik case
'Bath salts' : A powerful, dangerous stimulant
Refvik had reportedly been living with his family in his hometown of Mahopac since his arrest, when he was suspended without pay.
White Plains Public Safety Commissioner David Chong said Friday that with the guilty plea, the department "will now proceed with administrative actions," leading to Refvik's dismissal. "This tragedy was cause by the actions of one irresponsible individual. Our hearts and prayers go out to all that were affected by his actions."
Investigators said after the crash that Refvik claimed he had been driving in the right direction and that the Honda "came out of the Galleria parking lot the wrong way, and struck him," court documents say. Security and traffic cameras, however, confirmed the police account. Authorities say video also shows him drinking at a series of bars in the downtown business district in the hours before the crash.
In April, Lopez filed a civillawsuit alleging that Brother Jimmy's BBQ, at 147 Mamaroneck Ave., "directly caused" the crash "by the unlawful sale and/or gift of alcoholic and intoxicating beverages by the defendants."
After Friday's proceedings Refvik's lawyer, Andrew Quinn, said his client agreed to the plea because of his "desire to bring closure and some solace, to the extent that he could, to the LaMadrid family and to accept responsibility for his actions... Erik is a very decent guy. He truly is. And that is not in any way an attempt to mitigate his actions."
Lopez' lawyer, William Cooper, said Friday that Refvik's guilty plea "certainly doesn't close the book on this matter, but it is a step toward bringing peace to the family. The pain is obviously not alleviated, but we will continue to move forward."
LaMadrid was an independent contractor for Publisher's Circulation Fulfillment, the company used by The Journal News to deliver its newspapers to subscribers. Although she had remarried, she and Lopez continued to work together. The couple had two children together, Joseph, a student at Harrison High School, and Roslyn, a college student.