The New York City police officer accused of drunkenly driving his sport utility vehicle into a group of pedestrians on a sidewalk over the weekend, killing a college student from the Bay Area and critically injuring three others, has been fired from the department, officials said Thursday.

Nicholas Batka, 28, was seen driving erratically down a Brooklyn street Saturday morning before crashing through a wrought iron fence and hitting a group of four young friends, according to the criminal complaint filed against him. Andrew Esquivel, 21, a Healdsburg native one year away from graduating at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, died about four hours later.

Batka, who’s out on $300,000 bail, was charged with 13 offenses that included negligent homicide and driving under the influence of alcohol. The Police Department initially suspended him without pay before firing him Tuesday, said Sgt. Lee Jones, a police spokesman.

The investigation into the incident led police brass to place two of Batka’s colleagues, Officers Jeremy Rodriguez and Emmanuel Collado, on modified duty and be given administrative work, Jones said. The pair had been drinking with Batka before the crash, according to the New York Daily News. Officials said investigators will look into what the group did and where they went throughout the night.

Refused blood test

A witness to the crash, Shabbir Shakeel, told Sgt. Andrew Barton that he saw a gray SUV driving erratically down Bedford Avenue about 3 a.m. and pass through the intersection with North Eighth Street in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, according to the complaint. Seconds later, Shakeel said he heard a loud impact and people screaming, then saw that the SUV had jumped the curb and people were bleeding on the sidewalk.

Shakeel and other witnesses reported seeing the driver crawl to the passenger’s seat as bystanders stopped him from fleeing. The police officer dispatched to investigate, Lt. Danny Roberts, also saw Batka in the passenger’s seat and described him as having bloodshot, watery eyes, slurred speech and alcohol on his breath, according to court records. Batka refused a blood test.

Esquivel suffered traumatic injuries to his head and chest and was pronounced dead at 6:40 a.m. MIT student Sophia Tabchouri, 20, and MIT graduate James Balchunas, 24, sustained severe trauma to their legs. New York University student Divya Menezes, 23, was in critical condition with a pelvic fracture and traumatic injuries to her legs and arm.

Ambitious student

Esquivel was in the city for an internship with the mobile marketing firm Appboy. He was going to be a senior in the fall and was set to earn a degree in electrical engineering and computer science, according to the university. He was a wrestling club officer and research assistant in a laboratory on campus that develops electronic medical record systems for underserved communities.

Teachers at Healdsburg High School described him as one of the brightest students to pass through their classrooms. He’d regularly visited the school and its wrestling team, which he had captained his senior year. According to an obituary in the Healdsburg Tribune, he was an Eagle Scout, active community volunteer and accomplished skier, swimmer and hiker.

“He was interested in books, culture and ideas and always ready for a thoughtful discussion on topics ranging from the risks posed by artificial intelligence to the nuances of Harry Potter plot lines,” the obituary said.

A memorial service for Esquivel will be held Saturday at 1 p.m. at the Healdsburg Community Church.

Kimberly Veklerov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kveklerov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kveklerov