Herald Square mayhem ex-attorney found guilty of DWI drugs alcohol assault. NY Post photo

NEW YORK, N.Y. – 12/05/2015 — Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., today announced the guilty plea of STELLA MEDNIK, 35, for crashing a car in Herald Square last December while under the influence of drugs and alcohol, seriously injuring pedestrians. MEDNIK pleaded guilty to the top charges of the two indictments against her, including Assault and Vehicular Assault in the Second Degrees, as well as Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle in the First Degree, among other charges. She is expected to be sentenced on December 21, 2015.

drunk ex lawyer plowed through Herald Square Facebook profile photo

“As a former lawyer, this defendant’s blatant disregard for not only our City’s laws but public safety, is particularly egregious,” said District Attorney Vance. “Pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers alike were endangered when Stella Mednik took the wheel in an extremely intoxicated state. Miraculously, no one was killed, but five innocent pedestrians were injured, including multiple with broken bones, by Ms. Mednik’s extraordinarily reckless decision to drive while under the influence of alcohol and crack cocaine.”

According to the defendant’s guilty plea and statements made on the record in court, at approximately 10:00 p.m. on December 10, 2014, MEDNIK crashed into a vehicle while traveling eastbound on West 34th Street near Sixth Avenue while impaired by alcohol and crack cocaine. Attempting to leave the scene, MEDNIK drove the wrong direction on West 34th Street and crossed Sixth Avenue, before attempting to re-enter the eastbound lane. MEDNIK hit a second vehicle and then drove onto the sidewalk, where she struck five pedestrians, pinning one woman against a building. Two of the victims suffered broken bones, and others were treated for back and neck pain. Two pipes with crack cocaine residue were recovered from MEDNIK’s car by NYPD officers. At the time of the crash, MEDNIK was driving with a suspended license.

Stella Mednik former lawyer was using crack and booze in Herald Square mayhem guilty 120315

Assistant District Attorneys Erin Tierney and David Quinn handled the prosecution of this case under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Harrison Schweiloch, Deputy Chief of the Vehicular Crimes Unit; Assistant District Attorneys Alfred Peterson, Chief of Trial Bureau 70; and Executive Assistant District Attorney John Irwin, Chief of the Trial Division. Trial Preparation Assistant Rachel Fleder assisted with the case.

District Attorney Vance thanked NYPD Officers Jeffrey Lansinger and Christina Souvenir of the Midtown South Precinct and Sergeant William Costello of the 67th Precinct, as well as members of the NYPD’s Highway District.

Defendant Information:

STELLA MEDNIK, D.O.B. 12/22/1979
Brooklyn, NY

Convicted:
•    Assault in the Second Degree, a class D felony, one count
•    Vehicular Assault in the Second Degree, a class E felony, one count
•    Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle in the First Degree, a class E felony, two counts
•    Reckless Endangerment in the Second Degree, a class A misdemeanor, one count
•    Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Seventh Degree, a class A misdemeanor, one count
•    Operating a Motor Vehicle While Intoxicated, an unclassified misdemeanor, two counts
•    Driving While Impaired by Combined Influence of Drugs & Alcohol, an unclassified misdemeanor, one count
•    Reckless Driving, an unclassified misdemeanor, one count
•    Leaving the Scene of an Accident Without Reporting, an infraction, one count