Police have confirmed that Jim Boeheim was the driver of a car that hit and killed a pedestrian along the freeway Thursday night, and the longtime Syracuse coach has issued a statement about the incident.
According to police, 51-year-old Jorge Jimenez exited a vehicle he was riding in with several other passengers after the car struck a guardrail due to poor road conditions and came to rest in the middle of the road. Boeheim attempted to avoid the vehicle while driving his own car, which is when he struck and killed Jimenez. The 74-year-old coach says he is “heartbroken.”
Statement from Jim Boeheim: pic.twitter.com/c9lNXXzvGN
— Syracuse Basketball (@Cuse_MBB) February 21, 2019
As ESPN’s Mark Schlabach notes, police administered both field sobriety and alcohol sensor tests on Boeheim and the driver of the other vehicle, and the tests came back negative. While exact speeds could not be determined, Onondaga County District Attorney Bill Fitzpatrick said Boeheim was traveling at a proper speed for the freeway. Fitzpatrick called the fatal crash a “terrible, unfortunate accident.”
No traffic citations were issued, but the investigation remains ongoing. Boeheim is cooperating with police.
