D.A. Bragg Announces Manslaughter Plea in Hit-and-Run Death of Lisa Banes


September 28, 2022

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., today announced the guilty plea of BRIAN BOYD, 27, for fatally striking 65-year-old Lisa Banes with his unlicensed, unregistered electric moped, and then fleeing the scene. BOYD pleaded guilty in New York State Supreme Court to Manslaughter in the Second Degree and Leaving the Scene of an Incident Resulting in Death without Reporting. BOYD is expected to be sentenced on November 30, 2022.

“Brian Boyd drove recklessly with no regard for pedestrians, fatally striking a beloved actress and New Yorker before speeding off to avoid accountability,” said District Attorney Bragg. “Lisa Banes will be remembered for her contributions to the rich fabric of New York City through her roles on screen and on Broadway. I offer her friends, family, and the many who loved her during her decades-long career, my deepest condolences.” 

According to the defendant’s guilty plea and statements made on the record in court, on the evening of June 4, 2021, BOYD – who does not have a driver’s license – rode an unregistered electric moped without a license plate through a red light at the intersection of West 64th Street and Amsterdam Avenue. BOYD struck Ms. Banes as she walked in the crosswalk, and immediately got back on his moped and fled the scene. Ms. Banes was pronounced dead at Saint Luke’s Hospital on June 14, 2021. BOYD was arrested on August 5, 2021, following an extensive investigation by the NYPD and the Manhattan D.A.’s Office.

Assistant D.A. Erin LaFarge (Deputy Chief of the Vehicular Crimes Unit) handled the prosecution of this case under the supervision of Assistant D.A. Jill Hoexter (Chief of the Vehicular Crimes Unit) and Lisa DelPizzo (Chief of the Trial Division).

Defendant:
 
BRIAN BOYD
New York, New York
Convicted:

  • Manslaughter in the Second Degree, a class C felony, one count
  • Leaving the Scene of an Incident Resulting in Death Without Reporting, a class D felony, one count