Nicholle Hoke Admitted to Killing One and Seriously Injuring Another While Driving Drunk

 Defendant Expected to be Sentenced to 4-12 Years in Prison

 Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced that on Wednesday, April 24, 2024, Nicholle Hoke, age 45, of Shawnee, Oklahoma, pled guilty in Orange County Court to Aggravated Vehicular Homicide.  Under the plea agreement announced on the record at the time that Hoke pled guilty, it is expected that she will be sentenced to four (4) to twelve (12) years in prison when she is sentenced on July 23, 2024. 

As alleged in documents filed and statements made in court, on June 24, 2023 at approximately 10:00 p.m., Hoke crashed her vehicle into another vehicle on Route 9W in the Town of Newburgh.  As a result, one passenger in the other vehicle was killed and another suffered serious physical injury.  Hoke told police that she was driving to her hotel from a bar in New Paltz where she was drinking.  A warrant was signed for blood drawn from Hoke at St. Luke’s hospital, which revealed her blood alcohol content was twice the legal limit at 0.16%.  At the plea proceedings, Hoke admitted that she engaged in reckless driving and caused the death of one person and the serious physical injury of another while having over a 0.08% blood alcohol content. 

District Attorney Hoovler thanked the Town of Newburgh Police Department for their investigation which led to the arrest of Hoke.  District Attorney Hoovler also thanked the New York State Police for their assistance in the investigation.

“Driving while intoxicated is a senseless, incredibly dangerous and criminal act,” said District Attorney David M. Hoovler. “Unfortunately, the lives of the victims in this case and their families are forever altered because of the choices made by this defendant.  Incidents such as this one are not accidents, they are serious crimes and perpetrators need to be held accountable.  My Office will continue to seek significant sentences in drunk driving cases, particularly ones that result in injury or death to others.”

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Tanja Beemer.

This criminal charge is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed a violation of the criminal law, and it is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the State of New York’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.