The erratic driver who allegedly struck and killed a beloved father repairing the Washington Bridge in Manhattan was arrested Tuesday after more than a year — when he turned himself in, cops said.
Jesus Juarez, 36, rammed his 2018 Dodge Durango SUV into dad of one Herb Henry Alesna on Aug. 2, 2024, after he swerved into a closed lane, according to authorities.
Juarez was traveling westbound in the right lane on the bridge around 10:20 p.m. when he changed lanes and collided with a 2015 Toyota Highlander SUV in the left lane, cops said.
Herb Henry Alesna was killed in the crash. GoFundMe
The Dodge then collided with a parked 2010 International truck in the right lane before slamming into Alesna, authorities said.
First responders found the 41-year-old Queens resident lying on the span that connects Upper Manhattan and the Bronx and pronounced him dead.
Juarez, who was not injured, remained at the scene.
He turned himself in to the NYPD at a Manhattan police precinct Tuesday morning and is facing charges of reckless driving, motor vehicle fails to yield to a pedestrian, and failing to exercise due care causes serious physical injury.
His lawyer, Julie Redelman, called the crash a “tragic accident.”
The incident took place on the Washington Bridge. Famartin via Wikimedia Commons
“He remained at the scene and voluntarily surrendered,” she stressed in a message to The Post.
Juarez pleaded not guilty in court and was released from custody with another court hearing set for January 23.
Alesna was remembered after his death by friends and family as a proud member of the Filipino community and a dedicated Catholic who “always treated everyone with kindness and love.”
His daughter was just 1 year old at the time of his death.