Bay Ridge man sentenced for drunk driving death of Xaverian student in Gerritsen Beach
The 26-year-old Bay Ridge man who fatally struck a recent Xaverian High School graduate who was riding his bike in Gerritsen Beach in 2016 has been sentenced to up to nine years in prison, according to the Brooklyn district attorney’s office.
According to the investigation, at approximately 8:45 p.m. on July 17, 2016, the defendant, Thomas Groarke, was driving a 2015 Honda Accord, returning with four passengers from a day of drinking at the Tiki Bar in Staten Island, when his vehicle crossed the center median and struck 17-year-old Sean Ryan, who was riding his bike in the other direction, killing him instantly.
Evidence showed Groarke to be driving approximately 80 miles per hour on Gerritsen Avenue when, near the intersection of Florence Avenue, he swerved to pass a slower vehicle. That, officials say, is when he crossed the painted divider.