On Oct. 23, a New York State Supreme Court judge convicted a Port Jefferson Station man of second-degree manslaughter in connection with a DWI crash that occurred in 2015. According to the Suffolk County District Attorney, the 56-year-old man was also convicted on charges of second-degree vehicular manslaughter, including driving while ability impaired by the combined influence of alcohol and cocaine; driving while ability impaired by a drug, cocaine; driving while intoxicated and reckless driving. The conviction came following a two-week bench trial.
The sentencing hearing is scheduled to be held on Nov. 30. Although the impaired driver was acquitted of multiple reckless endangerment charges and one count of second-degree murder depraved indifference, he could be sentenced to a maximum of 15 years in prison. At the time of the accident, the convicted man had a blood-alcohol level of .17 percent, according to a Suffolk County crime lab test report. The legal threshold for DWI in the state of New York is .08 percent.
The fatal incident that precipitated the charges happened on the Sunrise Highway in Yaphank. Officials report that the wrong-way driver was traveling eastbound in the westbound lanes when he collided with a Toyota Corolla. A 57-year-old man was killed in the crash.
DWI is a serious matter in New York State, and motorists who find themselves facing multiple drunk driving charges may want to discuss their options with a criminal defense attorney without delay. In some cases, the attorney may be able to successfully challenge the prosecutor’s evidence and achieve a dismissal or reduction of the charges. The attorney could also argue the case in court on behalf of the client when it appears to be in the best interests of that client to proceed to trial.
Source: Port Jefferson Patch, “Port Jefferson Station Man Convicted After Wrong Way DWI Crash: DA,” Lisa Finn, 10/23/2017
