Privacy update — September 18, 2026: Identifying details have been removed under our victim privacy policy.
What Happened
A 45-year-old man formerly of Riverhead and a native of Poland pleaded guilty September 9, 2026, in Suffolk County Court to aggravated vehicular homicide and seven related charges for a drunk-driving crash on Route 25 in Cutchogue that killed a Massapequa woman in 2022, according to the Riverhead News Review.
On March 6, 2022, at approximately 6:04 p.m., the suspect was driving a 2021 Toyota RAV4 eastbound on Route 25 in Cutchogue. He crossed the double yellow lines attempting to pass another vehicle and struck a westbound 2019 Nissan Rogue head-on. Two additional vehicles went off the roadway and spun out of control after the initial impact, the Suffolk County DA’s office said.
A 60-year-old woman from Massapequa was in the front passenger seat of the Nissan Rogue. She underwent several surgeries for severe internal injuries and fractures. She died from those injuries on September 12, 2022, six days after the crash.
The driver of the Nissan Rogue survived but sustained multiple fractures to his spine, clavicle, sternum, ribs, and leg, according to the DA’s press release. The suspect was arrested in March 2022 and first arraigned December 21, 2022.
The Suffolk County District Attorney said in a statement: “Today, this defendant admitted guilt in causing the death of the victim and then fleeing to Poland in an attempt to evade justice. Thanks to our strong partnership with our federal and international law enforcement partners, the defendant was located, extradited and held accountable. This was a tragic and preventable loss of life caused by reckless, impaired driving.”
While his criminal case was pending, the suspect boarded a plane at JFK Airport on March 10, 2024, and flew to Poland, the DA’s office said. A bench warrant was issued March 25, 2024, after he failed to appear on the indictment. He was subsequently indicted on a separate bail jumping charge. Federal and Polish authorities located him, and he was extradited back to Suffolk County by March 2026.
The suspect pleaded guilty Wednesday before a Suffolk County Court Judge. In addition to aggravated vehicular homicide, his guilty plea covered manslaughter, vehicular manslaughter, aggravated vehicular assault, assault, driving while intoxicated, aggravated driving while intoxicated, and reckless driving, per the Riverhead News Review’s reporting on the DA’s announcement.
Location & Road Context
Route 25, known as Main Road through the North Fork, is a two-lane rural highway that runs through Cutchogue in the Town of Southold. The road carries steady commuter and commercial traffic between Riverhead and the North Fork’s eastern villages, with double yellow no-passing lines through much of the corridor. Long Island Traffic’s Suffolk County incident database has logged 946 recorded accidents in Suffolk County.
The head-on collision occurred in the eastbound lanes near Cutchogue’s commercial district. For more on Suffolk County road conditions and incidents, see our ongoing coverage.
Investigation & Legal Proceedings
The case moved through two distinct phases. Suffolk County initially arrested the suspect in March 2022, and the DA’s office secured an indictment before the suspect fled to Poland on March 10, 2024. The bench warrant, issued March 25, 2024, triggered a federal and international manhunt conducted with Polish authorities, according to the Riverhead News Review. He was returned to the United States and back in Suffolk custody by March 2026.
The suspect faces 5 to 15 years in prison under the terms of the guilty plea, the DA’s office said. Had he been convicted at trial on the original aggravated vehicular homicide count, he faced 8 1/3 to 25 years; the bail jumping indictment carried an additional 2 1/3 to 7 years. Sentencing is set for December 16, 2026.