Driver Found Guilty in Williamsburg Hit & Run Death

WILLIAMSBURG – The driver who killed a bicyclist in a hit and run last year was convicted yesterday, announced Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzales.

Defendant Juan Maldonado, 57, of Williamsburg, was found guilty of reckless manslaughter, leaving the scene of an incident and reckless driving after killing 35-year old Matthew von Ohlen, of Queens.

“The driver in this case engaged in the types of criminal actions I am determined to prosecute in Brooklyn in order to reduce fatalities on our roads and streets,” said the acting district attorney. “This was not an accident but a crime, and this defendant will be held responsible for his reckless behavior that cost an innocent man his life.”

On July 2, 2016, around 2:37am, the defendant swerved his black Chevy Camaro into the bike lane near Grand Street and Manhattan Avenue in Williamsburg. He then sped through a red light and struck the victim, continuing to drive and dragging him 10 to 20 feet.

The victim was taken to Bellevue Hospital where he was pronounced dead of blunt force trauma to the head.

Maldonado will be sentenced on October 18, 2017, and could serve up to 15 years in prison.