What Happened
James Baldassarri, 44, of Holtsville died August 29, 2026, after a driver authorities say was intoxicated slammed into the parked car he was sitting in on Wilson Drive two nights earlier, according to Long Island Life & Politics.
Noah Slusser, 21, of 58 Gray Ave., Medford, was driving a 2017 Ford Taurus southbound on Wilson Drive on August 27 when his vehicle struck a 2025 Toyota parked in front of 26 Wilson Drive at approximately 12:05 a.m. Baldassarri was seated in the Toyota at the time of impact. He was pulled from the scene and transported to Stony Brook University Hospital with serious injuries.
Crystal Springman, 27, of Middle Island, was the second occupant of the parked Toyota. She was transported to NYU Langone Hospital – Suffolk for treatment of injuries described as non-life-threatening, per the Long Island Life & Politics report.
Baldassarri did not survive. He died at Stony Brook University Hospital on August 29, 2026, two days after the collision.
Slusser was charged with Driving While Intoxicated and arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip. Both the 2017 Ford Taurus and the 2025 Toyota were impounded for a safety check, Suffolk County Police confirmed. Suffolk County Police Sixth Squad detectives are asking anyone with information on the crash to call 631-854-8652.
Location & Road Context
Wilson Drive is a residential street in Holtsville, a hamlet in the Town of Brookhaven in central Suffolk County. The stretch in front of 26 Wilson Drive where the Toyota was parked has no interchange or arterial designation; it is a local road where parked vehicles line the curb. For current conditions on nearby roads, see Long Island Traffic’s Holtsville coverage and the Suffolk County accidents page.
Investigation & Legal Proceedings
Slusser faces a Driving While Intoxicated charge filed by Suffolk County Police following the August 27 crash. He was arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip, per Long Island Life & Politics. With Baldassarri’s death confirmed on August 29, prosecutors may upgrade the charges; that determination rests with the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office. Suffolk County Police Sixth Squad detectives are leading the investigation and are still seeking witnesses.
What This DWI Charge Means
New York Vehicle and Traffic Law § 1192 defines three main impaired-driving offenses. DWAI (§ 1192.1) applies when a driver’s ability is impaired by alcohol, even below a 0.08 BAC. DWI (§ 1192.2) requires a BAC of 0.08 or higher, or common-law impairment under § 1192.3. Aggravated DWI (§ 1192.2-a) applies at a BAC of 0.18 or higher and carries steeper mandatory penalties. Slusser was charged with Driving While Intoxicated; the specific subdivision and any BAC reading have not been made public.
For a first-offense DWI conviction in New York, a defendant faces a fine of $500 to $1,000, a minimum six-month license revocation, a mandatory surcharge, enrollment in the Impaired Driver Program, and a required ignition interlock device on any vehicle the convicted person owns or operates for at least 12 months. Jail is possible — up to one year on a misdemeanor DWI. If prosecutors upgrade the charge to Vehicular Manslaughter in the Second Degree (Penal Law § 125.12) based on Baldassarri’s death, the offense becomes a Class D felony carrying up to seven years in state prison.
A driver who refuses a chemical test under New York’s implied-consent law faces an automatic one-year license revocation from the DMV, a $500 civil penalty, and the refusal itself can be introduced as evidence at trial. Whether Slusser submitted to or refused a chemical test has not been publicly confirmed.
Case Status & Updates
The DWI charge against Noah Slusser is an accusation. He is presumed innocent unless and until convicted in a court of law. His case was accepted at First District Court in Central Islip; it will proceed through Suffolk County’s criminal court system, where next steps typically include a preliminary hearing or grand jury presentation, pre-trial motions, and either a plea or trial.
Long Island Traffic tracks DWI cases through the courts and updates each report as arraignment outcomes, upgraded charges, pleas, and sentencing become public record. Check back at this page for developments as the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office acts on the case.