UPDATE
Aug 3, 2023 7:54 AM CDT
A former police officer in New Jersey who was off-duty, intoxicated, and still in his Halloween costume when he struck a pedestrian with his vehicle in the early hours of November 1, 2021, has been sentenced to five years in prison. According to prosecutors, Louis Santiago, 26, did not provide immediate assistance but instead placed the body of nurse Damian Dymka, 29, in his car and drove home before returning to the scene. He pleaded guilty to three felonies, including second-degree vehicular homicide, as reported by NBC News. During a hearing on Wednesday, Santiago apologized for his “inexcusable” actions. Andrzej Dymka, the victim’s father, forgave him, acknowledging that he is a young person and expressing gratitude that Santiago has the opportunity to turn his life around, all while mourning the loss of his own son.
Nov 25, 2021 7:50 AM CST
An off-duty police officer from New Jersey is accused of fatally striking a pedestrian in the middle of the night and then taking the deceased individual’s body home to determine what course of action to take. NBC News reports that Louis Santiago, a 25-year-old officer from Newark, was driving at 3am on November 1 when he “failed to maintain his lane and traveled on the right shoulder of the Garden State Parkway,” according to prosecutors. He collided with Damian Dymka, a 29-year-old nurse who was walking on the parkway’s shoulder.
Albert Guzman was present in the car with Santiago at the time, and both individuals allegedly did not contact emergency services or attempt to provide aid. Instead, they left and returned to the scene multiple times before ultimately placing Dymka’s body in a Honda Accord and driving to Santiago’s residence in Bloomfield, as reported by the New York Times. Santiago’s mother, Annette Santiago, reportedly joined in the discussion of how to proceed. Eventually, Louis Santiago went back to the scene with the body, and his father, a lieutenant in the Newark police, called 911 to report his son’s involvement in the accident.
According to prosecutors, when New Jersey State Police arrived at the scene, they discovered Dymka’s body in the back seat of the car. Louis Santiago has been charged with reckless vehicular homicide, desecration of human remains, and tampering with physical evidence, among other offenses. Guzman and Annette Santiago were also arrested and face charges including conspiracy to desecrate human remains and hindering apprehension. All three individuals have been released pending further hearings. (Read more car crash stories.)
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