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QUEENS---A Brooklyn man who attempted to stage an automobile collision in order to collect insurance money has been convicted on manslaughter and conspiracy charges after the 71-year-old driver of the car he struck lost control of her vehicle, slammed into a tree and died.
"Driven by financial greed, the defendant totally ignored public safety and became a hazard on the roads by turning his automobile into a weapon and purposely hitting another car", Queens district attorney Richard Brown said. "The defendant's actions caused the unsuspecting motorist, a devoted wife and grandmother on her way to visit her family, to lose control of her vehicle and ultimately resulted in her death."
 Waurd Demolaire, 25, of 207 East 91st Street in East Flatbush, Brooklyn, previously employed at H&M clothing store, was found guilty following a two-week trial. A jury of eight men and four women deliberated for 6 ½ hours over two days before convicting the defendant of manslaughter in the second degree and conspiracy in the sixth degree.
Queens Supreme Court Justice Michael Aloise who presided at trial, set a sentencing date of March 20. Demolaire faces up to 15 years in prison.
District Attorney Brown said that, according to trial testimony, beginning on March 20, 2003, and culminating on March 22, 2003, the defendant, an unindicted co-conspirator and two accomplices conspired to get into a "caused accident" whereby they would be involved in a collision with another vehicle and feign injury for the purpose of collecting insurance money under New York State's No Fault law. It was further testified that on March 22, 2003, at about 4:25 p.m. in front of 82-51 Commonwealth Boulevard in Queens Village the defendant, while operating a 1989 Toyota, intentionally struck a 1985 Buick that was also proceeding southbound and that the defendant's actions caused Alice Ross, 71, the driver of the Buick, to lose control of her vehicle and strike a tree, resulting in her death.
Two days after the fatal collision, in an ironic twist of fate, Demolaire himself, while walking on Winthrop Avenue in Flatbush, was struck and seriously injured by an automobile, also a 1985 Buick. 2-17-06
© 2005 North
Country Gazette
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