Bay Ridge

MTA officer heading to trial for allegedly striking pedestrian

April 4, 2018 By Paul Frangipane Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Lawrence Ffrench appeared in Brooklyn Supreme Court (shown) on charges he committed a hit and run. Eagle file photo by Rob Abruzzese
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An MTA Bridges and Tunnels officer indicted for allegedly striking a pedestrian while on duty and dropping him in Staten Island is heading towards a May trial date.

Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun set a May 9 date for hearings and trial for Lawrence Ffrench on Wednesday. Out without bail, Ffrench, 43, has been appearing in court since his June 15, 2017 arraignment for the alleged hit and run.

Ffrench is accused of striking a 41-year-old man near the corner of 92nd Street and Gatling Place on May 26, 2016, according to court documents. The man was thrown through the air and landed on the ground, suffering noticeable physical injuries. The on-duty officer then allegedly picked him up and put him in the back of his marked MTA vehicle.

Headed over the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, Ffrench took the first exit in Staten Island to a small access road and dropped the victim on the side of the road, prosecutors allege.

While the officer — since suspended without pay — urged the man not to speak of the event, the victim called 911 immediately after Ffrench left and told the operator what happened. He was taken to Staten Island University Hospital for four days to undergo knee surgery.

Charged with a felony leaving the scene of an incident without reporting and third-degree intimidating a witness, Ffrench faces up to four years in prison if convicted.

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