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Kelvin O’Neal, of Freeport, has been sentenced to five years in prison and two years of post-release supervision for the December 2017 crash, which he fled the scene of, Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas said.
O’Neal pleaded guilty in March to two counts of second-degree assault, two counts of third-degree assault, and leaving the scene of an accident resulting in physical injuries.
Singas said that at approximately 2:30 a.m. on Dec. 30, 2017, O’Neal was driving a back Mercedes at a high rate of speed on the Hempstead Turnpike in Levittown when he sped through a red light at the intersection of Wantagh Avenue, crashing into three vehicles.
O’Neal’s vehicle first struck the driver’s side of a pickup truck, causing it to overturn and explode into flames.
The driver of that vehicle suffered life-threatening injuries, including broken ribs, pulmonary contusions, and a brain bleed.
His treatment included a medically-induced coma and he continues to suffer from his injuries today, Singas said. A passenger in that vehicle suffered a broken collar bone and fractures to her ankle and foot, resulting in early-onset arthritis.
After striking the truck, O’Neal’s vehicle then hit a Jeep, causing physical injuries to the driver and passenger. O’Neal also crashed into a third vehicle, causing damage to the vehicle, but did not injure that driver.
O’Neal then fled. He was arrested on May 22 last year following a lengthy investigation into the crash.
“This defendant drove at outrageous speeds, crashed into innocent victims causing horrific injuries, and then fled the scene,” Singas said. “I’m grateful to the Nassau County Police Department for tracking down this menace and to our prosecutors for bringing him to justice.”
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