Jurors today convicted a former NYPD detective of manslaughter for mowing down a Bronx grandmother three years ago, but let him slide on a more serious charge because they thought evidence he was driving drunk was tainted.
Kevin Spellman, 45, faces 5 to 15 years in prison on the second-degree manslaughter charge, but he’d faced 25 years had he been convicted on the top charge of vehicular homicide charge.
Prosecutors said Spellman, an off-duty officer at the time, was boozed up and driving erratically when he plowed into a pedestrian, Drane Nikac, 70, on Oct. 30, 2009 with a city-owned Chevrolet Impala..
Spellman was charged with vehicular manslaughter after his blood alcohol level was determined to be .21 — more than twice the legal limit of .08.
But jurors said they were swayed by defense arguments that blood tested after the accident was contaminated.
After the verdict was read in a Bronx court, Spellman’s wife broke down in tears, as did the victim’s family.