Incident location, Long Island
What Happened
A Levittown man has been sentenced to up to 18 years in prison for a drunk-driving crash on North Jerusalem Avenue in North Bellmore that killed a 63-year-old motorcyclist — and then fled the scene, hiding in a wooded sump for more than an hour before police tracked him down with a K-9 unit. According to a press release from the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, Patrick Thompson, 59, was sentenced on April 2, 2026, before Nassau County Judge Robert Bogle to 6 to 18 years in state prison.
The fatal collision occurred on Sunday, October 26, 2025, at approximately 11:01 p.m. Prosecutors say Thompson was traveling westbound on North Jerusalem Avenue near its intersection with Sherman Avenue when he attempted to make a left turn into a convenience store parking lot. At that same moment, 63-year-old Daniel Bliss was riding his 2003 Harley-Davidson motorcycle eastbound on North Jerusalem Avenue. The two vehicles met nearly head-on. The force of the impact threw Bliss from his motorcycle. He suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene.
What followed the crash compounded the tragedy. Per the Nassau County DA’s Office, Thompson exited his vehicle, looked at Bliss as he lay dying in the street, and then fled on foot. He made no effort to call for help or report the crash. Instead, he ran nearly a half mile from the scene and concealed himself in a tree-filled sump. The Nassau County Police Department’s K-9 Unit was called in and, more than an hour after the collision, located Thompson hiding in the wooded area. At the time of his apprehension, Thompson displayed several signs of intoxication. A blood sample drawn from him approximately three hours after the crash returned a blood alcohol content of .18% — more than twice New York’s legal driving limit of .08% and the precise threshold that triggers the state’s most serious drunk-driving classification.
Thompson was formally arrested by detectives from the Nassau County Police Department’s Homicide Squad on October 27, 2025, the morning after the crash.
Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly did not mince words in describing Thompson’s conduct. “Patrick Thompson tried to duck responsibility after driving while highly intoxicated and crashing into Daniel Bliss’ motorcycle,” DA Donnelly said, according to the Nassau County DA’s press release. “After the crash, and a passing glance at Daniel as he died in the street, the defendant ran and hid like a coward. Thompson knew what he had done and thought only of himself. Now he will have many years in prison to reflect on his reckless actions. Our thoughts remain with Daniel’s family and friends as they continue to mourn his tragic loss.”
Thompson pleaded guilty on February 25, 2026, before Judge Bogle to three charges: Aggravated Vehicular Homicide, a B felony; Leaving the Scene of an Incident Without Reporting, a D felony; and Aggravated Driving While Intoxicated Per Se, an unclassified misdemeanor. The sentencing on April 2, 2026, delivered the full range of 6 to 18 years in state prison. Thompson is represented by attorney Peter Tsombekis, Esq.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Brittany Battista of the Vehicular Crimes Bureau, under the supervision of Bureau Chief Michael Bushwack and the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for the Litigation Division Kevin Higgins.
Location & Road Context
The crash took place on North Jerusalem Avenue near its intersection with Sherman Avenue in North Bellmore, a hamlet in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County. North Jerusalem Avenue is a multi-lane commercial arterial road lined with retail businesses, service stations, and convenience stores — the type of roadway where turning movements across oncoming traffic are a routine and well-documented hazard, particularly late at night. The convenience store parking lot that Thompson was attempting to enter sits just off the roadway, requiring drivers to cut across the eastbound travel lane.
Long Island Traffic’s local incident database contains 642 recorded accidents in Nassau County, reflecting the density and frequency of collisions across the county’s busy arterial road network. North Bellmore and the surrounding hamlets of the South Shore have seen recurring crash activity along commercial corridors like North Jerusalem Avenue.
Investigation & Legal Proceedings
The investigation was led by detectives of the Nassau County Police Department’s Homicide Squad, who arrested Thompson the morning after the crash. The NCPD’s K-9 Unit played a critical role in locating the defendant after he fled, tracking him to a wooded sump approximately a half mile from the crash site. Thompson’s apprehension and the blood draw that revealed his .18% BAC formed the evidentiary backbone of the prosecution.
Thompson pleaded guilty on February 25, 2026, to all three counts before Judge Robert Bogle in Nassau County. The guilty plea encompassed Aggravated Vehicular Homicide (B felony), Leaving the Scene of an Incident Without Reporting (D felony), and Aggravated Driving While Intoxicated Per Se (unclassified misdemeanor). On April 2, 2026, Judge Bogle imposed a sentence of 6 to 18 years in state prison. The prosecution was handled by ADA Brittany Battista of the Nassau County DA’s Vehicular Crimes Bureau.
What This DWI Charge Means
New York Vehicle and Traffic Law §1192 establishes a tiered framework for impaired and intoxicated driving offenses. Driving While Ability Impaired (DWAI) applies at a blood alcohol content of .05% to .07%; standard DWI applies at .08% or higher. The most serious alcohol-related classification — Aggravated DWI — is triggered when a driver’s BAC reaches .18% or above. Thompson’s BAC of .18%, recorded approximately three hours after the crash (meaning his BAC at the time of the collision may have been even higher), placed him squarely in this most serious category. A standard first-offense DWI in New York carries fines of $500 to $1,000, a minimum six-month license revocation, and up to one year in jail; Aggravated DWI escalates those penalties, with fines up to $2,500 and a minimum one-year revocation. Mandatory ignition interlock device installation is required upon relicensure for any DWI conviction in New York State.
When a DWI results in the death of another person and involves the additional felony of vehicular homicide, New York law treats the case categorically differently. Aggravated Vehicular Homicide — the B felony to which Thompson pleaded guilty — carries a sentencing range of up to 25 years in state prison. The 6-to-18-year sentence Thompson received reflects both the severity of the offense and the aggravating conduct of fleeing the scene and leaving a dying man in the road. New York also imposes severe DMV consequences for refusing a chemical test, including an automatic one-year license revocation and a $500 civil penalty — separate from any criminal proceedings.
Case Status & Updates
This case has reached its conclusion in the Nassau County court system. Patrick Thompson pleaded guilty on February 25, 2026, and was sentenced on April 2, 2026, to 6 to 18 years in state prison. Long Island Traffic tracks DWI cases through all stages of the court process — from arrest and arraignment through plea, trial, and sentencing — and updates each report as new information becomes part of the public record. Any appeals or modifications to Thompson’s sentence will be noted here as they are reported.
It should be noted, as a matter of standard legal practice, that an arrest or charge constitutes an accusation; defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. In this case, however, Thompson has pleaded guilty and been sentenced, and the legal proceedings are concluded at the trial court level.
Long Island Traffic will continue to monitor Nassau County accidents and DWI-related incidents across the region. Recent related activity in Nassau County includes a crash on the Northern State Parkway and a crash on the Southern State Parkway, both recorded on June 21, 2026. If you have been involved in a crash, visit our Know Your Rights page for guidance on what to do following an accident on Long Island.