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Keith Dillon, of New Hyde Park, pleaded guilty on Tuesday, Sept. 20, to charges related to the crash that happened on New Year's Day in Greenvale, according to Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly.
The DA's Office said he pleaded guilty to charges of:
- Aggravated vehicular assault
- Second-degree assault
- Aggravated driving while intoxicated
- Tampering with physical evidence
Dillon drove his 2014 Dodge Ram south on Glen Cove Road in Greenvale at 70 mph while intoxicated at nearly three times the legal limit for alcohol and impaired by Xanax at about 2:20 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2018, Donnelly said.
He drove onto the center median and crashed head-on into an unmarked police car driven by Nassau County Police Department Officer Willard Gomes, according to the announcement.
The event data recorder in Dillon's vehicle indicated that he was traveling at full acceleration and never applied the brakes, the DA's Office said.
Xanax and cocaine were also found in Dillon's pickup truck after the crash, Donnelly said.
Gomes' injuries included a brain bleed, a broken elbow, and leg fractures. He now walks with a permanent limp and can't fully bend his left elbow, the DA's Office said.
Dillon's ankle was fractured in the crash, according to the report.
“Officer Gomes’ life was forever changed by the defendant’s reckless decisions to drive at excessive speeds while extremely intoxicated and high,” Donnelly said. “More than four years after this horrific head-on crash, Officer Gomes continues to fight for his recovery every day. No one should have to suffer as he has. We continue to wish Officer Gomes the best and thank him for his heroic service to Nassau County.”
The DA's Office said Dillon previously pleaded guilty on May 13, 2019, but an appellate court decision overturned the conviction and the case was prosecuted again.
Dillon is expected to be sentenced to six to 12 years in prison on Wednesday, Oct. 19, Donnelly said.
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