SI Driver Charged With Manslaughter for Killing Cyclist With Boat Trailer

A motorist was charged with manslaughter for the death of a Staten Island cyclist who was struck by a boat trailer that detached from a truck.

Alexa Cioffi and her friend Briana Emanuele were riding on Hylan Boulevard at Redgrave Avenue on the afternoon of September 14, 2015, when the driver of an SUV, who was towing a boat, attempted to pass them on their left.

The trailer carrying the boat became unhitched from the truck and struck both victims. Emanuele, then 22, was injured, and Cioffi, who was 21, was killed.

Last month, District Attorney Michael McMahon charged Michael Khmil with manslaughter, homicide, misdemeanor assault, and reckless endangerment, according to court records.

From the Staten Island Advance:

According to the indictment, Khmil’s SUV was pulling a boat trailer with a maximum hauling capacity of 3,000 pounds, yet the boat weighed in excess of 4,000 pounds.

Khmil failed to secure the trailer to his SUV with chains and also failed to install a braking system on the trailer as prescribed by warning labels affixed to the trailer, contends the indictment.

As a result, the trailer detached from Khmil’s SUV and struck Cioffi and Emanuele while traveling at a speed exceeding 20 miles per hour, the indictment alleges.

Manslaughter, the top charge against Khmil, is a class C felony that carries penalties ranging from probation to 15 years in prison.

Khmil’s next scheduled court date is set for next week.