Yorktown Man Sentenced for Fatal Drunk Driving Crash
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By Rick Pezzullo
A Yorktown man was sentenced Friday to state prison in connection with a wrong-way, head-on crash he caused while driving drunk on Route 9 in Peekskill that claimed the life of an Ossining woman.
Mark Cope, 41, was sentenced by Westchester County Judge Barry Warhit to three to nine years behind bars for his actions in the December 23, 2020 accident. The Westchester County District Attorney’s Office has recommended Cope serve six to 18 years in jail.
“Mark Cope’s selfish decision to drive while intoxicated resulted in the needless death of a mother and put the lives of the two young passengers at great risk,” said District Attorney Mimi Rocah. “Our hearts are with the surviving victims, their families, and the entire Ossining community, which united to take care of the McClam family after this senseless tragedy.”
According to Rocah, at approximately 9:07 p.m. on December 23, 2020, Cope drove northbound in the southbound lane on Route 9 when he crashed head-on into the car driven by Shina McClam, 32. McClam’s six-year-old daughter and 18-year-old niece were passengers. Cope had a blood alcohol content of .21 at the time of the collision.
McClam died at the scene. The surviving passengers were transported to Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla and treated for their injuries.
In a victim impact statement made to the court, a surviving passenger said: “My aunt was loving, fun, flamboyant, the glue of the family. She did everything for everyone. An amazing soul. Finding out she was gone made me feel so much pain and yet in that moment I was so numb. I don’t know what you were thinking that night. What you thought was going to happen after you got into your car. You made a choice out of pleasure and fun. You destroyed a family beyond recognition.”
New York State Police arrested Cope and conducted the subsequent investigation.
Cope pled guilty to three counts of Aggravated Vehicular Homicide, Manslaughter in the Second Degree, Aggravated Vehicular Assault and Vehicular Assault in the Second Degree, all felonies. He also pled guilty to Assault in the Third Degree, Aggravated Driving While Intoxicated, two counts of Driving While Intoxicated, and Reckless Driving, all misdemeanors.
Rick has more than 40 years’ experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, running the gamut from politics and crime to sports and human interest. He has been an editor at Examiner Media since 2012. Read more from Rick’s editor-author bio here. Read Rick’s work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/pezzullo_rick-writer/
