VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - A New York man was sentenced to 10 years in prison in connection with a 2021 hit-and-run crash that left a motorcyclist dead.
Court documents say that on May 28, 2021, near the intersection of Ferrell Parkway and Indian River Road, 48-year-old Nghiem Nghi Nguyen caused a two-vehicle crash by failing to yield to motorcyclist Philip Pereira.
Pereira crashed into the driver's side of Nguyen's truck and was flung from his motorcycle into the street, where he died from the impact. Nguyen then drove away from the scene without attempting to help Pereira, calling 911 or reporting the crash to police.
The crash and Nguyen's vehicle were captured on video surveillance from nearby businesses and the city's camera system; parts of Nguyen's truck, including a taillight, a plastic bumper and pieces of blue paneling, were also found at the scene.
Officers received an anonymous tip that led them to a repair facility in Binghamton, New York. At the request of Virginia Beach Police, Binghamton Police officers interviewed the owner of the shop, who said Nguyen brought his truck in for repairs after the crash.
Nguyen allegedly told the shop owner, "I screwed up," and that he pulled out from a stop sign, was in a crash and that somebody died. He also allegedly said that he panicked and drove away from the scene.
Investigators later learned that Nguyen reported the accident to his auto insurance carrier, admitting that he left the scene.
When police and the Department of Forensic Science processed and analyzed Nguyen’s battered truck, they determined that the parts found at the crash scene were a match to parts damaged or missing from the truck. Five days after the crash, once police through their investigation identified Nguyen as the driver and he was informed that he had an outstanding arrest warrant, Nguyen turned himself in to police.
Virginia State Sentencing Guidelines recommended a sentence of no greater than six months in jail. According to Colin D. Stolle, the Commonwealth's Attorney for the City of Virginia Beach, Nguyen received the maximum sentence for his role in the crash.
