Prosecutors say a police officer who was off-duty and drunk when he crashed his vehicle into a tree in a suburb north of New York City, killing his passenger, has been arraigned on vehicular manslaughter charges.
Harry Kyreakedes, 27, on Thursday pleaded not guilty to the charges which also include driving while intoxicated.
Prosecutors say Kyreakedes was out drinking with friends in January and had just left a bar in White Plains when he crashed into a parking meter, a stop sign and into a tree. His friend, 27-year-old Isaac Ward, was killed.
Prosecutors say the off-duty officer had a blood-alcohol content of more than 0.18 percent.
Kyreakedes joined the city of New Rochelle Police Department about 14 months ago.
If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison.
