- Vanessa Raghubar, 22, died from injuries she suffered when her car was rear-ended by an allegedly drunken off-duty NYPD officer Neville Smith, 32
- Smith, who has been on the force for six years, faces charges of vehicular assault, assault, DWI and refusal to take a breath test
- Accident happened early Sunday morning on Van Wyck Expressway in Queens
- Raghubar's sister, Maria, and Maria's boyfriend, Justin Harricharran, were in the car at time of accident
- Maria is in critical condition and Justin is expected to recover fully
- The sisters were out celebrating with their boyfriends for Maria's 21st birthday
A 22-year-old woman has died from injuries and her 21-year-old sister is in critical condition after their car was rear-ended by an allegedly drunken off-duty NYPD officer.
Vanessa Raghubar, 22, was pronounced dead on Monday after police say she was behind the wheel of a Honda that was rear-ended by a Mercedes Benz shortly after 4am.
After being struck, the Honda hit a tree then a light pole before coming to rest in the far right lane on the Van Wyck Expressway near Rockaway Boulevard in Queens.
Her sister, Maria, and Maria's boyfriend, Justin Harricharran, were passengers in the Honda at the time of the accident.
Relatives of the Raghubar sisters told WCBS the girls were out Saturday night celebrating Maria's 21st birthday with their boyfriends.
Tragic: Vanessa Raghubar (left), 22, has died from injuries she suffered when her Honda (right) was rear-ended by an allegedly drunken off-duty NYPD officer early Sunday morning
Vanessa had just dropped her boyfriend off minutes before the crash.
Maria is currently listed in critical condition with broken bones in her arms and pelvic area and severe injuries to her kidneys and intestines, while 20-year-old Harricharran was injured and is expected to fully recover, WCBS reported.
The driver of the Mercedes Benz has been identified as off-duty NYPD officer Neville Smith.
The 32-year-old faces charges of vehicular assault, assault, DWI and refusal to take a breath test.
Smith is currently assigned to the 48th Precinct detective squad in the Bronx and has been suspended for 30 days without pay.
He had been a police officer for nearly six years.
Ravi Rattan, the priest for the victims' family, told WCBS: 'It is very sad that a person of authority, a person who's sworn to protect the people, was intoxicated and got himself involved in a situation like that.
'We're a very forgiving culture. The Hindu culture is a very forgiving culture.
'However, we are not very tolerant of people being intoxicated and operating vehicles.'
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