NEW YORK—A man arrested in connection with a car crash that killed a rabbinical college student, his pregnant wife and their baby was charged with criminally negligent homicide and other offenses.

Julio Acevedo was arraigned Thursday night in state Supreme Court in Brooklyn and ordered held without bail. His wife and young daughter were in the courtroom along with other family members and friends.





Acevedo's attorney, Kathleen Julian called the deaths horrendous, but said no crime was committed. "It was an accident. Accidents happen every day," she said.

She said her client, who surrendered to police Wednesday in Pennsylvania, always intended to turn himself in.


At the arraignment, Assistant District Attorney Gayle Dampf said two witnesses who have positively identified Acevedo as the motorist who struck the hired car, saw him drive "around a fire truck then accelerate and plow into a car.







Antignani granted an order of protection to the livery driver who was involved in the accident. When the judge asked Acevedo, dressed in a white T-Shirt, light blue hooded sweat shirt black sneakers. if he understood the order of protection, he responded "yes."

It was not immediately clear why the judge issued the protection order.







