James McGrantham was driving eastbound on Cropsey Avenue in Brooklyn and wanted to enter the westbound lane of the Belt Parkway, but mistakenly drove onto an exit ramp.
In an attempt to correct his error, McGrantham made an illegal u-turn across the highway and had almost completed the maneuver when a 20-year old motorcyclist crashed into McGrantham's driver's side door.
After the Queens County Supreme Court dismissed the criminally negligent homicide and reckless driving charges brought against McGrantham, the Appellate Division, Second Department, reversed. (The AD2 thought that McGrantham's conduct was "morally blameworthy," and "'unreasonably endanger[ed] users of the public highway.'")
On further review, the New York State Court of Appeals thought the decision to cross the 3-lane highway was "unwise" but didn't "rise to the level of moral blameworthiness" necessary for criminally negligent homicide. But, since his conduct was unreasonable and endangered others, the reckless driving charge was permitted to stand.
There's no turning back ... at least as far as this case is concerned.
To view a copy of the Court of Appeals's decision, please use this link: People v. McGrantham