Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., today announced the guilty plea of JIMMY CONNORS, 18, for killing two people after driving the wrong way on the Henry Hudson Parkway. CONNORS pleaded guilty yesterday to two counts of Manslaughter in the Second Degree and two counts of Leaving the Scene of an Incident Without Reporting. He is expected to be sentenced to 7 1/3 years to 20 years in state prison on February 27, 2026.
“I know the families of the two victims continue to struggle with the loss of their loved ones every day,” said District Attorney Bragg. “The defendant now faces a significant state prison term for his extraordinarily reckless conduct and extensive efforts to evade accountability. I thank our prosecutors for their hard work to prevent this defendant from fleeing the country and securing this strong measure of accountability.”
As admitted in the defendant’s guilty plea, on August 24, 2024, CONNORS was driving his Chevy Silverado pickup truck southbound on the northbound lane on the Henry Hudson Parkway at approximately 2:25 a.m.
CONNORS collided directly into another vehicle being driven by Kirk Walker with Robert McLaurin in the passenger seat, who were cousins, at West 165th Street. CONNORS left his vehicle, which was eventually engulfed in flames. He jumped across the center median into the southbound lanes and entered the woods.
Both Walker and McLaurin were brought to hospitals and pronounced dead.
On August 25, CONNORS was detained at the Canadian border attempting to flee. He had cuts and bruises on his face and stomach, blood on his shirt and walked with a limp.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant D.A.s Julie Nobel and Elaine Ortyl, under the supervision of Assistant D.A.s Daniel Makofsky and Tricia Phillips (Deputy Chiefs of Trial Bureau 80) and Siobhan Carty (Chief of Trial Bureau 80) and Executive Assistant D.A. Lisa DelPizzo (Chief of the Trial Division).
D.A. Bragg thanked U.S. Border Patrol Agent George DeJesus and NYPD Detectives Keith Solomon, Kevin Long and Douglas Gerber of the Collision Investigation Squad.
Defendant information:
JIMMY CONNORS
Syosset, New York
Convicted:
- Manslaughter in the Second Degree, a class C felony, two counts
- Leaving the Scene of an Incident Without Reporting (Death), a class D felony, two counts
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