GOSHEN – A 33-year-old Pine Bush man was sentenced in Orange County
Court on Thursday to 2-1/3 to seven years in state prison in connection
with the June 13, 2016 killing of Luis DeJesus, 31, of New Windsor.
Michael Rule had pled guilty before County Court Judge Craig Stephen Brown
to vehicular manslaughter and on Thursday, the judge imposed the maximum
authorized under the law.
Between 6:15 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on June 13, Rule was driving on Route
300 in the Town of New Windsor. DeJesus was walking down the road and
Rule struck him from behind, resulting in injuries that ultimately killed
him.
Rule left the collision scene and another person in the area attempted
to aid the victim and stayed with him until the police and first responders
arrived.
A few miles away in the Town of Newburgh, a couple, who had not seen the
collision, saw Rule driving his car with extensive front end damage, so
they followed Rule and called the police, because they suspected he had
been involved in a collision.
The civilians continued to follow Rule and report to police, even after
Rule got into the passenger seat of a car driven by another man, who had
nothing to do with the incident.
Police arrived within minutes and arrested Rule. A blood test done on
Rule revealed that his blood-alcohol level was .15 percent. DNA evidence
also linked Rule’s car to the death of DeJesus.
District Attorney David Hoovler said Rule was “deserving of receiving
the maximum sentence for this crime.”
