By Luis Perez and Rocco Parascandola
Newsday (New York)
Copyright 2006 Newsday, Inc.
An off-duty New York City police officer was struck and killed yesterday on the Henry Hudson Parkway by a volunteer firefighter who police said was driving drunk and was the aggressor in a road rage confrontation.
Nine-year police veteran Eric Concepcion, 30, suffered severe head injuries in the 12:15 a.m. incident. He was taken to the St. Luke’s Division of St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center, where he died later.
Police charged Robert Derian, 23, of Saddle River, N.J., with second-degree manslaughter, vehicular homicide, driving while intoxicated and unauthorized use of emergency lights.
Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said Derian had a blood-alcohol level of .12 — above the legal limit of .08 — when he started flashing his Jeep Cherokee’s blue emergency lights, a staple among many volunteer firefighters, during the confrontation.
Derian was driving north on the parkway, in the upper West 120s, when he pulled up alongside Concepcion and a friend, who were riding motorcycles, police said.
“Words may have been exchanged,” Kelly said. "[Derian] had a blue light that he plugged into his cigarette lighter. He either tried to pull them over or tried to intimidate the individuals on the motorcycles.
“Around 134th Street and the West Side Highway the car strikes the officer on the motorcycle, strikes him and then rolls over the officer, killing him,” Kelly said.
The vehicle dragged the officer about 220 feet, police said. Concepcion was wearing a helmet.
Concepcion worked in the 42nd Precinct and was assigned to the Yankee Stadium detail. His last shift ended at 5:30 p.m. Sunday.
Concepcion’s family, including his wife, Melissa, was notified a short time later. Concepcion is the father of two girls, ages 1 and 4. Family members could not be reached for comment yesterday.
“It’s a real tragedy,” Kelly said.
Late yesterday, Concepcion’s off-duty handgun had not yet been recovered. Police suspect it was knocked from his body when he was run over, and that it may have fallen beneath the elevated roadway.
Derian’s lawyer, Jim Kridel, said the crash was an accident.
“He called 911 and tried to render aid and assistance to the victim,” Kridel said. “This is not someone who’s insensitive to what happened.”
Derian’s first name is listed as Chase, an apparent nickname, on the Web site of the Saddle River Valley Rescue Squad.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg said “every life lost is a tragedy.
“But when a member of the NYPD is killed, particularly in such a senseless act, I think it breaks all our hearts,” he said.