ST. CROIX — Sayif Brooks, 32, has been sentenced to eight years of active incarceration for negligent homicide by motor vehicle in connection with the 2022 death of 79-year-old Howard Dyer. The sentencing was handed down by Superior Court Judge Douglas Brady on Wednesday.
The case stems from a tragic incident on June 7, 2022, when Brooks struck Dyer with his vehicle as the elderly man was crossing the street in front of the Two Plus Two Restaurant and Bar on Northside Road in La Grande Princesse, St. Croix. At the time of the collision, Brooks was driving 40 miles per hour in a zone marked for 20 mph traffic, according to court documents. Investigators also determined that Brooks’s vehicle was neither registered nor insured. Dyer was pronounced dead at the scene as a result of the injuries he sustained.
Brooks pleaded guilty to the charge on March 12, 2025. His admission of guilt paved the way for this week’s sentencing, which concluded a nearly three-year legal process following the fatal crash.
Attorney General Gordon C. Rhea commended those who worked on the case, extending thanks to Assistant Attorney General Robert Pickett, who prosecuted the matter, and Juliet John-Hope, Victim Witness Advocate for the Department of Justice in the St. Croix District. Rhea also acknowledged the investigative efforts of V.I. Police Department Officer Shaverna Chooran, whose work helped bring the case to resolution.
The sentencing marks a solemn close to a case that has impacted both the family of the deceased and the local community.
