New York Consolidated Laws

N.Y. Penal Law § 125.13 (2026)

Vehicular manslaughter in the first degree

✓ current as of May 2026
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§ 125.13 Vehicular manslaughter in the first degree.
  A person is guilty of vehicular manslaughter in the first degree when
he or she commits the crime of vehicular manslaughter in the second
degree as defined in section 125.12 of this article, and either:
  (1) commits such crime while operating a motor vehicle while such
person has .18 of one per centum or more by weight of alcohol in such
person's blood as shown by chemical analysis of such person's blood,
breath, urine or saliva made pursuant to the provisions of section
eleven hundred ninety-four of the vehicle and traffic law;
  (2) commits such crime while knowing or having reason to know that:
(a) his or her license or his or her privilege of operating a motor
vehicle in another state or his or her privilege of obtaining a license
to operate a motor vehicle in another state is suspended or revoked and
such suspension or revocation is based upon a conviction in such other
state for an offense which would, if committed in this state, constitute
a violation of any of the provisions of section eleven hundred
ninety-two of the vehicle and traffic law; or (b) his or her license or
his or her privilege of operating a motor vehicle in the state or his or
her privilege of obtaining a license issued by the commissioner of motor
vehicles is suspended or revoked and such suspension or revocation is
based upon either a refusal to submit to a chemical test pursuant to
section eleven hundred ninety-four of the vehicle and traffic law or
following a conviction for a violation of any of the provisions of
section eleven hundred ninety-two of the vehicle and traffic law;
  (3) has previously been convicted of violating any of the provisions
of section eleven hundred ninety-two of the vehicle and traffic law
within the preceding ten years, provided that, for the purposes of this
subdivision, a conviction in any other state or jurisdiction for an
offense which, if committed in this state, would constitute a violation
of section eleven hundred ninety-two of the vehicle and traffic law,
shall be treated as a violation of such law;
  (4) causes the death of more than one other person;
  (5) has previously been convicted of violating any provision of this
article or article one hundred twenty of this title involving the
operation of a motor vehicle, or was convicted in any other state or
jurisdiction of an offense involving the operation of a motor vehicle
which, if committed in this state, would constitute a violation of this
article or article one hundred twenty of this title;
  (6) commits such crime while operating a motor vehicle while a child
who is fifteen years of age or less is a passenger in such motor vehicle
and causes the death of such child; or
  (7) commits such crime while operating a vessel in violation of
paragraph (e-1) of subdivision two of section forty-nine-a of the
navigation law while a child who is fifteen years of age or less is a
passenger in such vessel and causes the death of such child.
  If it is established that the person operating such motor vehicle
caused such death or deaths while unlawfully intoxicated or impaired by
the use of alcohol or a drug, or by the combined influence of drugs or
of alcohol and any drug or drugs, then there shall be a rebuttable
presumption that, as a result of such intoxication or impairment by the
use of alcohol or a drug, or by the combined influence of drugs or of
alcohol and any drug or drugs, such person operated the motor vehicle in
a manner that caused such death or deaths, as required by this section
and section 125.12 of this article.
  Vehicular manslaughter in the first degree is a class C felony.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 42 cases (3 in the last 5 years), 1988–2026 · leading case: People v. Caden N., 2020 NY Slip Op 05979 (N.Y. App. Div. 2020).
People v. Caden N., 2020 NY Slip Op 05979 (N.Y. App. Div. 2020). · cites it 5× “[and] causes the death of more than one other person" (Penal Law § 125.13 [4]). A person is guilty of vehicular manslaughter in the second degree when, in pertinent part, "he or she causes the death of another person, and .”
People v. Ferguson, 2021 NY Slip Op 02563 (N.Y. App. Div. 2021). · cites it 2× “As for defendant's conviction of vehicular manslaughter in the first degree under count 7 of the indictment, the People had to establish that defendant committed vehicular manslaughter in the second degree and that he had been convicted of violating Vehicle and Traffic Law §…”
People v. Hoffman, 130 A.D.3d 1152 (N.Y. App. Div. 2015). · cites it 3× “13 (3), which requires proof that defendant (1) com *1154 mitted the crime of vehicular manslaughter in the second degree and (2) had been convicted within the preceding 10 years of violating Vehicle and Traffic Law § 1192 (see Penal Law § 125.”
The People v. Herman Bank The People v. Herman H. Bank, 65 N.E.3d 680 (N.Y. 2016). “15 [1]) and vehicular manslaughter in the first degree (Penal Law § 125.13 [4]). He pleaded not guilty and the case proceeded to a bench trial on December 9, 2008.”
People v. Goldblatt, 98 A.D.3d 817 (N.Y. App. Div. 2012). · cites it 2× “Aggravated vehicular homicide can also generally be viewed as the crime of vehicular manslaughter in the first degree (see Penal Law § 125.13) plus reckless driving.”
People v. Hart, 266 A.D.2d 698 (N.Y. App. Div. 1999). · cites it 2× “In order to sustain a conviction of vehicular manslaughter in the first degree (see, Penal Law § 125.13) the People must demonstrate that defendant, with criminal negligence (see, Penal Law § 125.”
People v. Cooper, 583 N.E.2d 915 (N.Y. 1991). “60 in the context of a *479 prosecution for vehicular manslaughter in the first degree, where the element that raised the offense charged was not simply a prior conviction for a violation of Vehicle and Traffic Law § 1192 (Penal Law § 125.13 [2]) but defendant’s commission of…”
People v. Boop, 118 A.D.3d 1273 (N.Y. App. Div. 2014). “Memorandum: Defendant appeals from a judgment convicting him upon a jury verdict of, inter alia, two counts each of vehicular manslaughter in the first degree (Penal Law § 125.13 [1], [2] [b]) and driving while intoxicated (Vehicle and Traffic Law § 1192 [2], [3]).”
People v. Mastowski, 2017 NY Slip Op 8113 (N.Y. App. Div. 2017). “Memorandum: Defendant appeals from a judgment convicting him upon a jury verdict of vehicular manslaughter in the first degree (Penal Law § 125.13 [3]) and two counts of driving while intoxicated (Vehicle and Traffic Law § 1192 [2], [3]).”
People v. Cooper, 158 A.D.2d 743 (N.Y. App. Div. 1990). “"Vehicular manslaughter in the first degree is a class C felony” (Penal Law § 125.13). Under the facts of this case, the prior conviction for operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol is only a part of an element of the crime with which defendant was charged.”
People v. Snow, 138 A.D.2d 217 (N.Y. App. Div. 1988). “In 1985, the Legislature amended the vehicular manslaughter provision by adding a higher degree of the crime (class C felony if the defendant is driving with a suspended or revoked license) (Penal Law § 125.13, added by L 1985, ch 507), and similarly amended the vehicular…”
People v. Guevara, 68 A.D.3d 1738 (N.Y. App. Div. 2009). “*1739 Memorandum: Defendant appeals from a judgment convicting him upon his plea of guilty of vehicular manslaughter in the first degree (Penal Law § 125.13 [2] [b]) and felony driving while intoxicated (Vehicle arid Traffic Law § 1192 [3]; § 1193 [1] [c] [former (ii)]).”
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