WHITE PLAINS – A Yonkers man pled guilty to a felony of aggravated vehicular assault and other charges after hitting a mother and her infant child with his car as he crashed through a Yonkers storefront while drunk.
David Poncurak, 43, also pled guilty to driving while intoxicated, driving while ability impaired by the combined influence of drugs or of alcohol, and aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, all as misdemeanors.
He faces five to 15 years in state prison when sentenced in January.
On July 23, 2021 at about 8:30 a.m., Poncurak hit a mother and her infant daughter with his car as he crashed through the storefront of a barbershop on Lake Avenue in Yonkers.
The crash trapped both victims under the car.
Yonkers Police with the help of bystanders lifted the car off the victims, both of whom were rushed to the hospital. The mother underwent surgery for a fractured femur. The daughter sustained a fractured skull and severe burns.
“David Poncurak’s decision to drive under the influence of alcohol and drugs put a mother and her infant child at severe risk,” said District Attorney Miriam Rocah. “I applaud the extraordinary work of the Yonkers Police Department, the bystanders, and the ambulance crew who sprang into action to assist during this harrowing event. These victims are alive today because of the heroic efforts of these brave individuals.”
