What Happened
James Baldassarri, 44, of Holtsville, died over the weekend after a drunk-driving suspect’s vehicle slammed into his parked car on Wilson Drive in Middle Island at around midnight on August 27, 2026, Suffolk County Police said.
Noah Slusser, 21, of Medford, was driving a 2017 Ford Taurus southbound on Wilson Drive when his car struck a 2025 Toyota parked in front of a home on the street, according to police. Baldassarri was inside the Toyota. He was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital with serious injuries and succumbed over the weekend, police confirmed.
A second person in Baldassarri’s vehicle, a 27-year-old woman from Middle Island, was taken to NYU Langone Hospital – Suffolk in East Patchogue. Her injuries were described as non-life-threatening, according to police.
Suffolk County Police charged Slusser at the scene with driving while intoxicated. Both vehicles were impounded for a safety check, police said. Patch first reported the initial crash on August 27 and confirmed Baldassarri’s death and the continuing investigation on September 1.
Slusser pleaded not guilty to the DWI charge at his arraignment in First District Court in Central Islip. His license was suspended at that hearing. He was released on his own recognizance and is due back in court on October 6, 2026, per online court records. He is represented by the Legal Aid Society.
The Suffolk County District Attorney’s office, headed by Ray Tierney, is reviewing whether Slusser will face upgraded charges in light of Baldassarri’s death. A spokeswoman for Tierney declined to comment on the question as of September 1, according to Patch. Funeral services for Baldassarri are scheduled for Thursday at Christ the King R.C. Church in Commack, per Branch Funeral Homes’ website.
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 in front of private homes, placing the parked vehicle in a standard curbside position with no lane separation from through traffic.
Middle Island sits roughly between Medford and Ridge, accessible from Middle Country Road (NY-25). For more on accident history in Brookhaven Town, see our dedicated coverage page.
Investigation & Legal Proceedings
The Suffolk County District Attorney’s office confirmed September 1 that the investigation into the August 27 crash is active. Whether Slusser faces a charge above the current DWI count, most likely Vehicular Manslaughter in the second degree under New York Penal Law § 125.12, which applies when a driver impaired under VTL § 1192 causes a death, has not been announced. Tierney’s office declined to preview charging decisions.
Detectives from the 6th Squad in Selden are asking anyone with information about the crash to call 631-854-8652. Both the Slusser and Baldassarri vehicles remain in police custody pending the safety inspection.
This crash was first reported by Long Island Traffic on August 27 and updated on August 29 when Baldassarri’s death was confirmed.
What This DWI Charge Means
New York’s Vehicle and Traffic Law § 1192 creates three tiers of alcohol-impaired driving offenses. A DWAI (§ 1192.1) applies at a BAC above 0.05 and below 0.07 and is a traffic infraction, not a crime. A standard DWI (§ 1192.2) requires a BAC of 0.08 or higher and is an unclassified misdemeanor on a first offense, carrying a fine of $500–$1,000, a mandatory minimum six-month license revocation, and up to one year in jail. Aggravated DWI (§ 1192.2-a) kicks in at a BAC of 0.18 or higher and raises the minimum fine to $1,000–$2,500 with a one-year revocation. All conviction levels require installation of an ignition interlock device for at least 12 months under Leandra’s Law.
When a DWI results in a fatality, the DA can seek Vehicular Manslaughter in the second degree (Penal Law § 125.12), a class D felony carrying up to seven years in state prison. A first-degree charge (§ 125.13), a class C felony with a maximum of 15 years, applies if aggravating factors such as a prior DWI conviction or a BAC of 0.18 or higher are present. Slusser’s current charge is misdemeanor DWI. The DA’s decision on whether to present felony counts to a grand jury will determine the trajectory of the case.
Drivers who refuse a chemical breath test in New York face an automatic one-year license revocation under VTL § 1194, a $500 civil penalty, and a $250 annual driver responsibility assessment for three years. Those consequences apply independent of any criminal verdict.
Case Status & Updates
An arrest and a criminal charge are accusations. Noah Slusser is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. His next scheduled appearance is October 6, 2026, in First District Court in Central Islip, where the case will continue through the Suffolk County court system. The DA’s office may present evidence to a grand jury before that date if upgraded charges are sought.
Long Island Traffic tracks DWI cases through arraignment, plea, and sentencing. This page will be updated as court dates, charging decisions, and any guilty pleas or verdicts become part of the public record.