Firefighter Pleads Guilty, Avoids Jail Time In Fatal Bensonhurst Hit-And-Run
On October 10, 2010, at 20th Avenue and 65th Street, Brooklyn firefighter Pat Quagliariello struck and killed 25-year-old Guatemalan immigrant Manuel Tzajguachiac. He immediately fled the scene.
Last week, Quagliariello pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor of fleeing the scene of a crime and received a slap-on-the-wrist plea deal. His sentence includes speaking at 35 high schools about driving safety and accident prevention. He does not have to serve any jail time.
The firefighter was texting and speeding in his BMW SUV when h
e struck Tzajguachiac, who was crossing the street. He surrendered to police four hours later, after he stopped to pick up his brother, NYPD detective Anthony Quagliariello. When questioned by officers at the 62nd Precinct, he refused a breathalyzer test.The accident was captured by a nearby surveillance camera.
Quagliariello is assigned to Ladder 172, located a few blocks from the scene of the crash. He was initially suspended for 30 days without pay and has been on desk duty since the investigation began.
According the Daily News, he has a rap sheet for a 1992 felony attempted assault and served one day in jail and five years’ probation. His EMT certification was also suspended in 2005 for a year because he did not reveal his conviction when applying for the certification.
