SNOW HILL, Md.- A Maryland man has been sentenced to 17 years behind bars for causing a fiery drunken-driving crash in Ocean City that killed another driver last summer.
Todd Pivec, 41, of Cockeysville, Md., was found guilty in November of negligent manslaughter by motor vehicle and driving a vehicle not equipped with ignition interlock. Worcester County Circuit Court Judge Beau H. Oglesby gave Pivec the maximum sentence he could impose on him during Pivec's court appearance Friday, Feb. 14.
Prosecutors said that on June 21, 2019, a n SUV operated by Pivec struck the rear of another vehicle in the area of 48th Street and Coastal Highway in Ocean City, which in turn caused that vehicle to crash into a restaurant at 46th Street.
As a result of the collision, that vehicle’s fuel tank ignited, trapping the driver of the vehicle, later identified as Siefeldawla Alfaki, inside and causing his death.
After the collision with Alfaki’s vehicle, Pivec’s vehicle flipped and then crashed into a telephone pole at 45th Street.
Officers took Pivec into custody on the scene and testing revealed his blood alcohol content was more than double the legal limit. Prosecutors said crash data from Pivec’s vehicle showed that in the moments prior to impact with Alfaki’s vehicle, Pivec was traveling at 93 miles per hour.
Court records show Pivec has had multiple DUI arrests, dating back to 2009.