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A lady accused of fatally plowing her car into a bystander on a Queens sidewalk was concentrating on the sister of her estranged, abusive boyfriend, her legal professional claimed Wednesday.
Accused hit-and-run driver Kiani Phoenix, 26, had been “attacked” by her boyfriend’s sister inside a Far Rockaway comfort retailer Saturday, legal professional Marvyn Kornberg advised The Post.
Phoenix allegedly jumped into her Honda Accord and drove up on the sidewalk, ramming into 59-year-old Milton Storch who was sitting on a walker exterior the Rohan deli on Beach twentieth Street close to New Haven Avenue.
“She’s extraordinarily, extraordinarily sorry for what occurred,” Kornberg stated.
Phoenix — who turned herself into cops on Monday — had filed 10 home complaints in opposition to her ex, who was hit with a slew of costs Tuesday. Phoenix was scarred from the abuse and had spent a complete of 18 months in a mental-health facility, Kornberg stated.
He claimed the horrific crime might have been prevented if police had arrested the ex and put orders of safety in place.
“Could she have helped what occurred? Absolutely not,” he stated about his consumer. “It’s an accident that didn’t must occur if an arrest had been beforehand made by police.”
The boyfriend was arrested Tuesday and charged with endangering the welfare of a minor and assault of a 42-year-old lady, regulation enforcement sources stated.
He was additionally charged with two assaults, theft and three counts of felony contempt in opposition to Phoenix, sources added. Police didn’t verify an arrest Wednesday.
The 42-year-old lady within the assault case is Phoenix’s mom, based on Kornberg.
“Had they made the arrest months in the past, none of this may have ever occurred,” Kornberg stated. “That’s the catalyst with the battle – the actual fact she has these complaints in opposition to the brother.”
Phoenix was set to bear a psychological analysis Wednesday evening, her legal professional stated. She had suffered two anxiousness assaults and needed to be hospitalized on the day she surrendered to cops, he stated.
“How do you measure how traumatized anyone is?” Kornberg stated. “If you are taking a lady who has been abused, who’s been struck and overwhelmed on quite a few events you possibly can’t measure the impact.”
Phoenix is going through costs of homicide, tried homicide, assault and leaving the scene of incident with out reporting.
She and her ex’s sister bought right into a verbal argument that turned bodily, ending with Phoenix making an attempt to rundown the sister on the sidewalk, based on the felony grievance in opposition to her.
The sister and others ducked into the deli for canopy and Phoenix’s automobile slammed into Storch, the grievance stated.
Phoenix backed up and hit one other bystander, a 36-year-old man who sustained accidents, earlier than she sped off, prosecutors stated.
Phoenix is due again in courtroom Sept. 21.
Additional reporting by Tina Moore and Georgett Roberts
