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Scooter driver who fatally struck ‘Gone Girl’ actress Lisa Banes sentenced

NEW YORK — The scooter driver convicted of fatally striking “Gone Girl” actress Lisa Banes in a hit-and-run incident last year was sentenced to up to three years in prison on Wednesday.

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Brian Boyd 27, pleaded guilty in September to manslaughter in the second degree and leaving the scene of an incident resulting in death without reporting, The New York Times reported.

Banes, 65, also known for her work in “Cocktail,” was in critical condition on June 4, 2021, after being hit as she was walking near Lincoln Center on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, WNBC-TV reported. She died 10 days later, according to WNBC and WABC-TV.

The Times reported that Boyd attempted to claim in court that he had not acted recklessly when he ran a red light and struck Banes in a crosswalk.

“I did beep my horn,” Boyd said. “I did slow down.”

Angered, State Supreme Court Judge Gregory Carro reminded Boyd that while Banes was lying face down and bleeding on the pavement, he drove four miles north to a Harlem shop that repaired his electric scooter while he drank a beer, the newspaper reported.

“You know what? I’ll give you your plea back,” Carro said. “You want to go to trial?”

Boyd said that he did not, the Times reported.

Banes’ wife, Kathryn Kranhold, urged Carro to impose a “very significant term of imprisonment” for Boyd, The Associated Press reported. Kranhold told the judge that Boyd was about to benefit from a “very sweet plea deal.”

Kranhold called Boyd a “danger to anyone in New York City, to anyone crossing the street.”

“He cared more about his bike,” Kranhold said, according to the AP.

Banes’ manager said the actress was traveling to visit The Juilliard School, her alma mater, WPIX-TV reported.

A wanted poster enabled officers to recognize Boyd, who resided in Manhattan’s Upper West Side, near the intersection of the crash site on Thursday, according to the Times.

Banes was a star in theater, movies and on television. On Broadway, she appeared in “Rumors,” “Accent on Youth” and “Present Danger,” according to Variety. Her movie credits included “Young Guns,” “Pumpkin,” “Freedom Writers” and “A Cure for Wellness.” She had television roles on “Roseanne,” “Six Feet Under,” “Desperate Housewives,” “Madam Secretary,” “Masters of Sex,” “Nashville” and “NCIS.”

“Lisa Banes was a beloved friend, family and community member whose life was tragically cut short,” District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement to CNN. “New York City continues to mourn her loss with them, and it is my sincere hope that her loved ones are able to heal and recover.”