What Happened
Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly announced that Michael Bonner, 41, of Babylon pleaded guilty on October 7, 2026, before Nassau County Judge Caryn Fink to two felony charges: Leaving the Scene of an Incident Without Reporting Resulting in Death (a D felony) and Tampering with Physical Evidence (an E felony).
According to the DA’s office, at approximately 8:00 p.m. on March 25, 2026, Bonner was driving his 2001 Chevrolet Suburban, uninsured and unregistered, near the intersection of East Merrick Road and South Main Street in Freeport when he struck a 66-year-old man who was walking in the crosswalk. Bonner continued driving eastbound on East Merrick Road and fled the scene. The victim was transported to Mount Sinai South Nassau Hospital in critical condition and underwent emergency surgery; he died from his injuries on April 3, 2026.
The DA’s office said investigators identified Bonner’s vehicle through two distinctive features: a large red sticker on the rear windshield and white foam above the rear passenger-side tire. Cell phone data obtained during the investigation also placed Bonner at the scene at the time of the crash, according to the DA’s office.
Daily Voice reported that investigators tracked Bonner’s movements across Long Island prior to the crash using those same distinctive vehicle markings.
Bonner fled New York shortly after the crash, according to the DA’s office. He was detected in the Carolinas on March 28, 2026, and drove back to New York in early April. On April 4, 2026, he was located in Nassau County, pulled over by Hempstead Police Department officers, and arrested at approximately 12:40 p.m. by Nassau County Police Department detectives.
DA Donnelly said: “Michael Bonner struck the victim in the crosswalk and heartlessly left him to die in the street. The defendant methodically attempted to cover his tracks and fled the state, leaving a grieving family behind to pick up the pieces. Today’s guilty plea makes it clear that no one can run from their crimes in Nassau County.”
What Officials Have Said Next
Bonner is due back in court on December 10, 2026, for sentencing. The DA’s office said he is expected to receive a sentence of 1 to 3 years in prison, while prosecutors recommended a sentence of 2 to 6 years. The case is being prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Nicole Vota of the Vehicular Crimes Bureau. The DA’s office credited the Nassau County Police Department, the Hempstead Police Department, the Freeport Police Department, and the Garden City Police Department with the investigation.
Local Crash Record
The Village of Freeport recorded 903 reported crashes in 2024, per New York State DMV crash data; of the 2,564 reported crashes in the village from 2021 through 2024, 8 were fatal. Federal FARS fatal-crash records place 44 fatal crashes, in which 46 people died, within Freeport’s 2020 Census boundaries from 2010 through 2024 (2024 figures preliminary). These figures reflect reported crashes as coded by the reporting agency and are context about the village, not a statement about the cause of this crash. Long Island Traffic’s incident registry includes a prior report on an incident in Freeport from June 24, 2026.
What we don’t know yet: no source has reported what, if any, statement Bonner made at the plea proceeding, and no source has reported whether he had any prior criminal or driving record that may be considered at the December 10 sentencing.
Sources
- Nassau County District Attorney (official record)
- News 12
- Daily Voice
- Greater Long Island
- Patch