The former NYPD detective accused of fatally shooting a man in a horrific road-rage incident on the George Washington Bridge fled the scene in a Range Rover owned by his hedge fund employer, according to a report.
Victor Romero, 62, faces charges in connection with the death of Koran Irvine, a 46-year-old Con Edison worker who was killed on the bridge Tuesday evening. Romero previously served as an NYPD detective.
Prosecutors said Romero was driving an SUV belonging to his employer when the shooting occurred. He worked as a driver and private security guard for QVT Financial, a biotech and energy investment firm, the New York Post reported.
According to the outlet, Romero had been assigned as a driver for the company’s CEO, Dan Gold.
The NYPD is investigating the deadly shooting that occurred on the George Washington Bridge in New York City. (FNTV)
“We are aware of the press reports concerning Victor Romero and are cooperating with the authorities in this matter,” QVT Financial said in a statement to News Outlet.
Romero appeared in court Thursday, where a judge approved the district attorney’s request to set his bond at $1 million. He is charged with first-degree manslaughter.
Assistant District Attorney Matthew Sears told the court that the confrontation began when Romero and Irvine nearly collided while approaching the bridge. The incident was captured on surveillance video, prosecutors alleged.
Koran Irvine, 46, was shot in the shoulder and later died, reports say. (GoFundMe)
The footage shows Romero driving closely behind Irvine’s vehicle and appearing to tailgate it aggressively as the cars crossed the bridge.
Prosecutors said Romero then moved quickly to the right of Irvine’s moving car and fired one shot from the driver’s seat. The bullet passed through the rear passenger-side window and struck Irvine in the right shoulder, causing his death.
Investigators comb the scene for clues as to what may have led up to a deadly shooting on the George Washington Bridge. (FNTV)
Surveillance video shows Irvine’s vehicle suddenly veering into the far-right lane before stopping amid active traffic.
Video evidence and vehicle registration records indicated that Romero was driving an SUV owned by QVT Financial and assigned to him, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors also said Romero’s vehicle was the only one positioned to have fired the fatal shot.
After the shooting, Romero allegedly passed Irvine’s vehicle, crossed the bridge and fled north on the Palisades Interstate Parkway toward his Rockland County home. Authorities said he neither called 911 nor turned himself in to police.
Detectives found Romero and the employer-issued SUV the next day at his Manhattan workplace.
Koran Irvine worked for Con Edison in New York. (Instagram/Meta: Koran Irvine)
Authorities recovered a revolver from Romero, who prosecutors said acknowledged carrying it every day. A later search of his home uncovered two more handguns.
Prosecutors said all three firearms are undergoing forensic examination.
With members of Irvine’s family present in court, Sears pointed to the strong video evidence, the severe mandatory prison sentence Romero faces if convicted, and his flight from the scene in requesting the million-dollar bail.
Romero is scheduled to return to court on Oct. 27.
News Outlet has reached out to Romero’s attorney, Alan Abramson, for comment.
