Man who killed Gone Girl actress Lisa Banes in hit and run pleads guilty to manslaughter charges

The man accused last year of killing Gone Girl actor Lisa Banes with an electric scooter pleaded guilty to manslaughter on Wednesday.

Brian Boyd, 27, initially pleaded not guilty to the charges in August 2021, but changed his plea. He is now expected to be sentenced to one to three years in prison on November 30.

Banes was hit by the scooter Boyd was driving as she crossed a street in New York City in June 2021.

The actor was hospitalized and died six weeks later on July 14, 2021, at the age of 65.

She had appeared in films including Gone Girl in 2014 and Cocktail in 1988 and in TV shows including Nashville, Madam Secretary, Masters of Sex and NCIS.

After running a red light and attacking Banes in Manhattan’s Upper West Side in June, Boyd fled the crime scene to have his bike repaired, surveillance footage shows, leaving the raging star bleeding on the floor. He was eventually arrested weeks later.

He pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter on Wednesday and left the scene of an incident without filing a report.

Surveillance footage recovered by police showed Boyd, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and unique tie-dye design, riding his electric scooter north on his electric scooter just before the collision.

He then blew through a red light and collided with Banes, who crossed the street and pushed the actress off the zebra crossing, police said.

After the crash, Boyd was knocked off his bike, according to surveillance footage of the scene, and proceeded to brush himself and retrieve his scooter.

He then took a few steps to look at Banes, who lay face down on the concrete, bleeding profusely from the head, the footage shows.

The sentence promised to Boyd was less than the three to nine years prosecutors demanded from the Manhattan District Attorney.

“Brian Boyd drove recklessly without regard for pedestrians, fatally hitting a beloved actress and New Yorker before driving off to avoid liability,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement.

Lisa Banes will be remembered for her contributions to the rich fabric of New York City through her screen and Broadway roles. I offer my deepest condolences to her friends, family and the many who have loved her throughout her decades-long career.”

Boyd’s lawyer said she had no comment.

The incident comes amid a flood of reckless drivers hitting New York City streets deflated by the coronavirus pandemic, often on unregulated e-bikes and scooters, with many speeding dangerously.

Many of these vehicles don’t require license plates – and those that do are often barren too, allowing drivers to run a red light at random, while the police often turn a blind eye to such violations.

At least 243 people died in traffic accidents in New York City in 2020 — making it the deadliest year on record since Mayor Bill de Blasio introduced his signature “Vision Zero” plan to improve street safety in 2014.

Banes, who lived in Los Angeles, was in Manhattan at the time to perform in “The Niceties,” a two-woman show from the Manhattan Theater Club.

She was on her way to meet friends for dinner when she was hit.

Banes also planned to stop by the Juilliard School, a renowned Lincoln Center performing arts school, Banes’ wife, Kathryn Kranhold, revealed after her death.

After the sudden death of Banes, several friends of the star in Hollywood spoke about the incident.

Friend and singer Jill Sobule tweeted: ‘Just got caught. Lisa Banes was magnificent, hilarious and generous – always helping me through the tough times. She was loved by so many,’ sharing a photo of the couple together in a bookstore.

Seth McFarlane, the creator of the television show The Orville, in which Banes appeared, also paid tribute to the actress.

He tweeted: “I am deeply saddened by the news of the passing of Lisa Banes. We were lucky enough to work with her on The Orville for the past year.

“Her stage presence, appeal, skill and talent were matched only by her unwavering kindness and courtesy to all of us.”

Boyd was arrested in August 2021, two months after the incident, when patrol officers recognized him from a wanted poster.