#Family of man killed in Queens one-punch death files lawsuit

The family of a Florida tourist who died from a single punch delivered by ex-Wake Forest basketball coach Jamill Jones has filed a wrongful death lawsuit following Jones’ no-jail sentence.

The 37-year-old former coach — who faced up to a year in jail for his third-degree assault conviction from February — was sentenced last month to three years probation, 1,500 hours of community service and a $1,000 fine for the deadly slugging of Sandor Szabo in Queens on Aug. 5, 2018.

Less than two weeks after Jones’ sentencing Szabo’s mother, Donna Kent, has filed suit for wrongful death, negligence and other claims against Jones and the university, since Jones was traveling in New York for work.

After sentencing, Kent called prosecutors’ decision to only charge Jones with assault and the resulting sentence “inadequate and unfair for the crime of killing an individual.”

“A civil action is now the only means to obtain justice for Mr. Szabo and his family who have suffered tremendously with his death,” Kent’s lawyer John Pierce said in a statement.

The 35-year-old Boca Raton digital marketing consultant — who was in New York for a family wedding — had drunkenly knocked on Jones’ car in Long Island City thinking it was the Lyft car he was awaiting.

Then Jones — at 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds —  pursued a much smaller Szabo and “without warning or provocation” punched him in the face once, says the Queens Supreme Court lawsuit from Tuesday.

The blow caused Szabo to fall and hit his head on the pavement causing traumatic brain injury that would lead to his death at a hospital three days later.

Right after the attack, Jones got in his car and drove away without using his first aid training to tend to Szabo or calling 911, the lawsuit alleges. Jones didn’t turn himself in until four days later.

“Wake Forest did not even dismiss Coach Jones for the assault but merely put him on leave following his arrest and allowed him to voluntarily resign eight months later,” the court papers allege.

Kent is suing for unspecified damages.

Jones’ criminal defense attorney declined to comment. The university did not immediately return a request for comment.