After months of reporting by SalGreco.com and The Sal Greco Show, the former NYPD sergeant is heading to prison. For the family of Manuel Boitel, the sentence marks a significant moment in a tragedy that should never have happened.
BY SAL GRECO | OCTOBER 29, 2026
WHITE PLAINS, NY — Former NYPD Sergeant Tiffany Howell, 48, has been sentenced to four to 12 years in state prison for the deadly, alcohol-fueled, wrong-way collision on the Taconic State Parkway that claimed the life of 61-year-old Manuel Boitel, a hardworking husband and father who was simply trying to get home after another day at work.
The sentencing took place Wednesday, October 28, before Westchester County Court Judge Anne B. Bianchi.
Howell previously pleaded guilty on August 19 to aggravated vehicular homicide and manslaughter in the second degree.
According to New York Attorney General Letitia James, Howell received concurrent prison sentences of four to 12 years. Her driver’s license was revoked, and she waived her right to appeal.
For the Boitel family, however, no prison sentence can replace the husband, father and loved one they lost.
And while Wednesday’s sentencing represents an important moment of criminal accountability, the family’s emotional statements inside the courtroom made clear that their pain remains immeasurable.
A DEADLY DECISION THAT DESTROYED A FAMILY
On January 22, 2026, at approximately 11:37 p.m., Howell, then an off-duty NYPD sergeant, drove southbound in the northbound lanes of the Taconic State Parkway in Westchester County.
Traveling at more than 50 miles per hour, Howell crashed head-on into Boitel’s vehicle.
Boitel was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after midnight.
Investigators determined that Howell had a blood-alcohol concentration of at least .18, more than twice New York’s legal limit of .08.
Boitel, a longtime Manhattan Upper East Side doorman, was returning home to Peekskill after working to provide for his family.
He had spent decades serving others, building relationships and preparing for a retirement he would never get to enjoy.
Instead, one person’s decision to drive while intoxicated ended his life and permanently changed the lives of everyone who loved him.
This was not an unavoidable accident.
It was a preventable tragedy caused by criminal conduct to which Howell ultimately admitted guilt.
SALGRECO.COM AND THE SAL GRECO SHOW FOLLOWED THIS CASE FROM THE BEGINNING
For those who have followed SalGreco.com, our social media reporting and The Sal Greco Show, this case has been the subject of extensive coverage dating back to the earliest hours following the fatal collision.
On January 23, we began reporting information surrounding the crash, including the involvement of an NYPD sergeant and the circumstances that required further investigation.
We continued following the case as questions emerged regarding Howell’s duty status, toxicology findings, suspension and attempts to separate from the NYPD.
Our reporting included:
- January 23: Reporting on the fatal collision, Howell’s identity and allegations surrounding the wrong-way crash.
- February 4: Reporting that Howell had been re-suspended by the NYPD, effective February 2.
- February 5: Reporting that Howell had withdrawn an application for vested-separation retirement.
- March 2: The New York Attorney General announced Howell’s indictment and arrest.
- March 25: Our reporting addressed Howell’s resignation from the NYPD ahead of a scheduled departmental trial.
- August 19: Howell pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicular homicide and second-degree manslaughter.
- October 28: Howell was formally sentenced to four to 12 years in state prison.
Our coverage was also acknowledged by Yonkers Times, which referenced reporting from The Sal Greco Show and our social media platforms concerning developments in the case.
In our August 19 article, NYPD Sergeant Pleads Guilty in Fatal Wrong-Way Crash — Months After SalGreco.com Broke the Story, we documented the reporting timeline and the importance of pursuing the facts regardless of criticism or personal allegiances.
We also emphasized something that remains just as important today:
This story was never about attacking police officers. It was about holding someone accountable for taking an innocent man’s life.
Accountability must never depend on someone’s rank, uniform, connections or professional relationships.
The law should apply equally to everyone.
BOITEL FAMILY CONFRONTS HOWELL IN COURT
According to ABC7 Eyewitness News, members of Manuel Boitel’s family delivered powerful victim-impact statements during Wednesday’s sentencing.
His sons, Eric and Marvin Boitel, confronted Howell about the devastating consequences of her actions.
Family members expressed anger over the agreed-upon sentence, questioning whether four to 12 years adequately reflected the magnitude of their loss.
Howell apologized in court, expressing remorse and saying she wished she could change what happened that night.
However, not everyone in the Boitel family accepted her apology.
Their reaction is understandable.
A family lost someone who could never be replaced. Children lost their father. A wife lost her husband. The future they had envisioned together was taken away in an instant.
No apology can reverse that.
And no number of years behind bars can restore the life that was lost.
WE HOPE THIS SENTENCE BRINGS SOME MEASURE OF CLOSURE
As someone who spent 14 years serving in the NYPD, I understand the tremendous responsibilities that come with wearing the uniform.
Police officers are entrusted with enforcing laws, protecting the public and making decisions that can profoundly affect people’s lives.
That responsibility does not disappear when an officer goes off duty.
In fact, law enforcement professionals should understand better than most the devastating consequences of impaired driving.
Throughout our reporting, we have maintained that police accountability is not anti-police.
It is essential to maintaining public trust.
We also recognize that the criminal justice system has now imposed a sentence that some members of the Boitel family believe is insufficient.
Their feelings deserve to be heard and respected.
At SalGreco.com and The Sal Greco Show, our sincere hope is that this conviction and sentencing provide Manuel Boitel’s family with at least some measure of closure, while recognizing that genuine healing cannot be dictated by a courtroom or a prison sentence.
We cannot pretend to know what this family feels or what it will take for them to find peace.
But we can hope that seeing Howell held criminally responsible offers some comfort in knowing that Manuel’s death was neither forgotten nor ignored.
NEVER FORGET THE VICTIM
There is a tendency in high-profile criminal cases involving law enforcement to focus on the accused officer, the department, the controversy and the legal proceedings.
But the most important name in this entire story is not Tiffany Howell.
It is Manuel Boitel.
A husband.
A father.
A hardworking man.
Someone whose family expected him to walk through the front door after finishing his shift.
He never made it home.
We extend our deepest sympathies to the entire Boitel family and hope that, in time, they find strength, healing and some measure of peace.
To everyone who followed our coverage, shared information and helped keep attention on this case, thank you.
Independent journalism has a responsibility to pursue facts, ask difficult questions and follow stories through to their conclusions, even when those stories involve people in positions of authority.
We will continue doing exactly that.
But today is not about celebrating a prison sentence or taking a victory lap over our reporting.
It is about remembering an innocent man whose life ended far too soon.
May Manuel Boitel rest in eternal peace. May his family find the strength and closure they deserve. And may this tragedy serve as a permanent reminder that no one is above the law.
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