A 28-year-old East New York man on Feb. 13 was sentenced to up to nine years in prison for causing a fatal high-speed crash in Downtown Brooklyn that killed a 21-year-old woman and injured three others.
The defendant, Kashawn Croswell, on Jan. 22 was convicted of second-degree manslaughter, two counts of second-degree assault, reckless driving, excessive speed and disobeying traffic control signals, according to Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez.
Prosecutors said the deadly crash occurred on Aug. 18, 2023, at approximately 3:21am, as Croswell drove southbound on Court Street at speeds exceeding 60 miles per hour. Surveillance video showed him running three steady red lights in succession, at Schermerhorn Street, State Street and Atlantic Avenue, before the collision.
“This defendant made a series of reckless and deliberate decisions that had deadly consequences," Gonzalez said in a statement. "By driving at high speeds and running red lights, he turned a Brooklyn intersection into a death trap. A young mother lost her life, shattering her family and today’s sentence reflects the gravity of the harm he caused."
According to trial evidence, Croswell entered the intersection at Court Street and Atlantic Avenue at 62 miles per hour after running the third red light. He struck a westbound vehicle that had the right of way, slamming into the front passenger side with significant force.
The impact killed 21-year-old Shanti Joyner, who was seated in the front passenger seat of the struck vehicle. She sustained multiple blunt force injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. Joyner’s 32-year-old sister, who was driving, suffered a fractured ankle, while a 29-year-old rear passenger sustained a fractured wrist.
Authorities said Croswell’s 24-year-old girlfriend was seated in the front passenger seat of his vehicle at the time of the crash. After the collision, Croswell exited the car and pulled her from the passenger side before the vehicle caught fire.
Prosecutors said he then attempted to flee the scene, dragging his injured girlfriend for roughly a block and a half while approaching passing motorists and asking if they were Uber drivers.
He also attempted to gain entry into a nearby residence but was turned away. Bystanders called 911 and officers later located him outside the building. His girlfriend, who suffered a spinal fracture in the crash, was transported to a local hospital.
In announcing the sentence, Gonzalez said the defendant’s decision to speed and ignore multiple traffic signals turned a Brooklyn intersection into a deadly scene, costing a young mother her life and devastating her family.
