Staten Island driver charged with murder in horrific DWI crash that killed pregnant girlfriend

A Staten Island driver accused of killing his pregnant fiancée in an alcohol-fueled crash has now been charged with murder in a horrific crash, Daily News has learned.

A Staten Island grand jury indicts 30-year-old Adem Nikezik on a range of charges, including lecherous indifference murder and aggravated vehicular homicide in a January crash that killed Adriana Silmetai and ripped out the couple’s unborn child from her womb.

Nikezik raced along Hylan Boulevard and turned. around 4:45 a.m. Jan. 28 when he crashed his Dodge Challenger into a power pylon and a brick wall near Rose Avenue in New Dorp, according to the criminal complaint.

The impact broke his car into three pieces, and 23-year-old Silmetai, who is seven months pregnant, fell from the passenger seat. She and their child died on the spot.

He was initially arrested on manslaughter and assault charges and remains on $400,000 cash bail or $700,000 bail.

The new allegations also show Nikeziq’s blood alcohol level was in excess of 0.18%, more than double the legal limit of 0.08% for drunk driving.

However, prosecutors have yet to release any further details about what makes Silmetai’s death a homicide. James Clinton, a spokesman for District Attorney Michael McMahon, said more information would be available after Thursday’s arraignment.

A murder charge, which carries between 15 years and a life sentence, is rare in a drunk-driving fatality case, although prosecutors in New York sometimes bring charges if they can determine that a suspect has such disregard for human life that pays no attention to him. they care if their reckless actions won’t kill anyone.

“As far as I know, I hope he gets [life in prison]and that’s it, I won’t have to see him again. That’s all,” brother Silmetai Al said on Tuesday.

The couple were expecting their little girl in April and Silmetai was thrilled to be a mother, her brother told The News last month.

Nikezik’s lawyer, Patrick Parrotta, said his client, who wept during his criminal court arraignment upon learning his child had died, did not act with the vicious disregard for life needed to support a murder charge.

“It’s easy to get an indictment when they’re just presenting evidence without any cross-examination or extenuating circumstances,” he said.

“They must find, in the opinion of the Court of Appeal, that his conduct reflects viciousness, malice or inhumanity, manifested in cruel, vile and vile acts … There may, of course, be many aggravating circumstances, but I do not consider that it rises to level of depraved indifference to human life.