Update — October 14, 2026: Noah Slusser, 21, of Medford, has been indicted for Manslaughter in the Second Degree and related charges, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced. The 44-year-old Holtsville man who was seated in the parked Toyota suffered a serious brain injury, underwent emergency surgery at Stony Brook University Hospital and died the day after the crash, according to the DA’s announcement (published in full by TBR News Media).
According to the DA’s office, the indictment alleges that at approximately 12:06 a.m. on Aug. 27, Slusser drove the 2017 Ford Taurus southbound at a high rate of speed while under the influence of alcohol and drugs, entered a marked shoulder lane of the residential street and struck the parked 2025 Toyota Crown near Adams Lane. Responding officers allegedly observed signs of intoxication and arrested him at the scene. (The DA’s announcement calls the street Wilson Avenue; the original Suffolk County Police release calls it Wilson Drive.)
On Oct. 14, Slusser was arraigned before Acting Supreme Court Justice Philip Goglas on these indicted charges:
- Manslaughter in the Second Degree, a class C felony
- Vehicular Manslaughter in the Second Degree, a class D felony
- Assault in the Second Degree, a class D violent felony
- Two counts of Driving While Intoxicated, unclassified misdemeanors
- Driving While Impaired by Drugs, an unclassified misdemeanor
- Driving While Impaired by the Combined Influence of Alcohol and Drugs, an unclassified misdemeanor
- Reckless Driving, an unclassified misdemeanor
Justice Goglas set bail at $250,000 cash, $500,000 bond or $1,500,000 partially secured bond and suspended Slusser’s license. He is due back in court on Nov. 17, 2026, and faces five to 15 years in prison if convicted of the top count. Assistant District Attorney David Geller of the Vehicular Crime Bureau is prosecuting; Detective Alicia Ditta of the SCPD Sixth Squad investigated. “Drunk and drugged drivers kill too many Suffolk citizens when they could simply call a ride share,” Tierney said. An indictment is an accusation; Slusser is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The original Aug. 27 report follows.
What Happened
Noah Slusser, 21, of Medford, was arrested early Thursday morning after his 2017 Ford Taurus struck a parked 2025 Toyota on Wilson Drive in Middle Island, injuring both of the parked vehicle’s occupants, according to a Suffolk County Police release.
Slusser was driving southbound on Wilson Drive when his vehicle hit the 2025 Toyota, which was parked on the street in front of a residence, at around 12 a.m. The impact left two people hurt and both vehicles impounded.
A 44-year-old man from Holtsville, an occupant of the parked Toyota, was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital with serious injuries, Patch reports. The second occupant, a 27-year-old woman from Middle Island, was taken to NYU Langone Hospital–Suffolk in East Patchogue for non-life-threatening injuries, police said.
Slusser was charged with driving while intoxicated. He was scheduled for arraignment at First District Court in Central Islip later Thursday, according to Patch. Both vehicles — Slusser’s Ford Taurus and the 2025 Toyota — were impounded for a safety check, Suffolk County Police said.
The Suffolk County Police 6th Squad in Selden is handling the investigation. Detectives are asking anyone with information about the crash to call 631-854-8652.
Location & Road Context
Wilson Drive is a residential street in Middle Island, a hamlet in Brookhaven Town in central Suffolk County. The stretch where the crash occurred runs past private homes, consistent with parked vehicles being present at the curb around midnight. Middle Island sits roughly between Route 25 (Middle Country Road) to the north and Yaphank Avenue to the south.
Investigation & Legal Proceedings
Slusser was initially charged with driving while intoxicated under New York Vehicle and Traffic Law; he has since been indicted on manslaughter and related counts (see the update above). His first arraignment was set for Thursday at First District Court in Central Islip, the same day as his arrest. The Suffolk County Police 6th Squad in Selden, which covers the Middle Island area, is conducting the follow-up investigation.
What This DWI Charge Means
New York VTL § 1192 establishes three primary impairment offenses. DWAI (§ 1192.1) applies when a driver’s ability is impaired by alcohol but BAC is below 0.08; it is a traffic infraction, not a crime. DWI (§ 1192.2) requires a BAC of 0.08 or higher and is a misdemeanor on a first offense. Aggravated DWI (§ 1192.2-a) applies at a BAC of 0.18 or higher and carries steeper penalties. The charge filed against Slusser is DWI; the source does not specify a BAC reading or indicate an aggravated charge.
A first-offense misdemeanor DWI in New York carries a fine of $500 to $1,000, a mandatory surcharge, a minimum six-month driver’s license revocation, and up to one year in jail, though jail is not mandatory on a first offense. A mandatory ignition interlock device must be installed on any vehicle the convicted person owns or operates for at least 12 months after conviction. A second DWI within 10 years is a Class E felony, with fines up to $5,000 and a minimum one-year license revocation.
Drivers who refuse a chemical test (breathalyzer or blood draw) face an automatic one-year license revocation and a $500 civil penalty under New York’s implied-consent law, independent of any criminal outcome. A refusal can also be used as evidence against a defendant at trial. The source does not indicate whether Slusser refused or submitted to a chemical test.
Case Status & Updates
Slusser’s arrest and indictment are accusations. He is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. After his Aug. 27 arrest on a DWI charge, he was indicted on manslaughter and related counts and arraigned Oct. 14, 2026, before Acting Supreme Court Justice Philip Goglas. His next court date is Nov. 17, 2026.
Long Island Traffic tracks DWI arrests through arraignment, plea, and sentencing. This report will be updated as court records become public.