Bajan Yankee held by NY police

Robert Bowen, 50, believed to be a Bajan living in Brooklyn, is facing two serious charges, drunk driving and reckless endangerment, after a traffic accident that claimed the life of a New York City policeman.
Bowen was the driver of a van that slammed head-on into a car driven by 35-year-old Andre Menzies, who was on his way home from his job as a housing police officer in Queens during the early hours of Tuesday morning.
Suffolk County Police charged that Bowen had a blood alcohol level of 0.25, three times the legal limit when he drove his Chevy van the wrong way on the Northern State Parkway in Long Island and hit officer Menzies.
The police allege that Bowen was driving at a high speed when the “horrific” accident occurred. He was promptly arrested and charged after it became clear to the cops that he was drunk, the authorities said. Bowen pleaded not guilty at an arraignment in Suffolk County District Court and was ordered held in lieu of US$350 000 cash bail or US$500 000 bond.
“It was just a terrible scene,” said one officer.
Menzies, the father of five children, was a member of the New York City Police Department for the past nine years, and lived in North Babylon on Long Island.
“He was a happy, loving family man,” said Robert Menzies, the dead cop’s father. “Everything he did, he did for his wife and children.”
His death came a day after he gave a seventh birthday party for his daughter.
Bowen may face even more serious charges, including vehicular manslaughter, and could spend 15 years in prison if found guilty in court. (TB)