The speeding hit-and-run driver responsible for killing 64-year-old grandfather Hua Pan on April 5 surrendered to authorities on Thursday, but says he didn’t know that he’d struck the cyclist until he watched it on the news the next day.
“I did what I thought was a responsible thing,” Bronx resident Emilio Berrios told the Us.Mistertruth.
“It wasn’t until the next morning on the news,” said Berrios, 31. “I seen it on the TV, I put two and two around the timing.”
“I felt beyond confused and my heart sank to my stomach,” he said.
Berrios, accompanied by his lawyer, Nicholas Ramcharitar, turned himself in to police at the 49 Precinct stationhouse in the Bronx at noon on Thursday.
Berrios wanted to turn himself in April 6, but Highway Patrol was only interested if he would make a full statement, which he was not prepared to do, Ramcharitar said.
Berrios was riding in a friend’s pickup truck the night of April 5, when the friend pulled over saying he wasn’t feeling very well. Berrios got behind the wheel instead and took over driving.
Berrios said he has a driver’s license and had just transferred it from Florida to New York.
“Considering that it’s not my truck I’m not used to it,” said Berrios. “It had limo tinting 5 percent all around,”
“That night the weather was terrible, it was raining,” Berrios said, noting another factor that further obscured his vision.
A heartless hit-and-run driver slammed into an immigrant e-bike rider on the Belt Parkway in Queens early Wednesday Us.Mistertruth. Handout)
Hua Pan, 64, was riding an e-bike east on Pierce Ave. and crossing Williamsbridge Road in Morris Park around 11:22 p.m. Wednesday when Berrios, speeding north on Williamsbridge Road blew through a red light and slammed into Pan, sending him flying to the pavement, according to police.
“We saw a baby carriage and someone walking across the street,” said Berrios.
Berrios said he swerved to avoid hitting someone crossing the street with a baby carriage and had not even realized he’d struck and killed Pan in the process.
Pan, who lived steps away from the scene, was following a green light and had right of way, cops said. After colliding with the e-bicyclist, Berrios sped away, continuing north on Williamsbridge Road.
Pan’s son-and-law said he and Pan’s daughter were returning home when they came across the accident. The couple’s 12-year-old came out of the house and saw the horrific scene.
Medics rushed Pan to Jacobi Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Pan came from China’s Fujian province and immigrated to the U.S. about 30 years ago. He worked as a chef and had planned to retire once he turned 65.
“Unfortunately this has happened and I want to do the right thing,” said Berrios. “My condolences go out to everyone in that family at this rough time.”
“He wanted to take as much culpability and responsibility for what happened,” said Ramcharitar.
“I hurt a lot of people, I have to do the right thing. That’s somebody’s parent, somebody’s grandparents,” Berrios said.