Pedro J. Abad Jr., the man responsible for a March 2015 crash involving a tractor-trailer that killed two people, goes to trial today, Monday April 17th.
The former New Jersey police officer was returning home from a strip club with two fellow police officers and one civilian friend when he began driving the wrong way on the Staten Island West Shore expressway and collided with an oncoming tractor-trailer.
Officer Frank Viggiano and friend Joe Rodríguez both died in the incident. Patrick Kudlac and Abad himself were both critically injured and forced to retire from the force due to the injuries suffered at the time of the accident. The tractor-trailer driver suffered minor injuries but has since recovered.
“The larger challenge isn’t the physical but the emotional healing for him,” said Sherry Hirschman, business manager for Snavely’s Mill flour manufacturer, the company the driver was working for.
According to NBC New York, Abad walked into trial Monday, April 17th unaided, despite use of a wheelchair, crutches, or a cane in previous court appearances. Abad rejected a plea deal in February of this year and is now up for trial on a 27 count indictment, including aggravated vehicular homicide and manslaughter.
Before departing the club, Abad posted a photo of three shots on Instagram with the hashtag #cheers.
At the time the crash occurred, Abad was found to have a Blood Alcohol level of .24, which is 3 times the legal limit in the state.
In the end, he’s going to pay for this,” Roseann Rodríguez, sister of deceased crash victim Joe Rodríguez said. The first responding officer and EMT are expected to give testimonies later today.