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Willem Specht, age 63, of Wantagh, was sentenced to between seven and 15 years in prison in Nassau County Court on Wednesday, Sept. 25.
It followed his guilty plea to aggravated vehicular homicide and related charges in the death of Joseph Devito.
Prosecutors said Specht was “highly intoxicated” when he quickly reversed his car from a parking spot, striking the 61-year-old Devito outside the On Parade Diner in Woodbury at around 2:30 p.m. on Jan. 18, 2023.
Devito, who had been talking with a high school friend at the time, suffered severe head injuries and later died at Syosset Hospital.
After the collision, Specht continued driving his Infiniti sedan in reverse, going over a sidewalk and striking a ramp and metal fence before crashing into the diner’s exterior wall.
He then drove back to the parking lot, got out of his car, and stood there for a short time before attempting to flee the scene. He was eventually restrained by a witness until Nassau County Police arrived.
Testing revealed that Specht’s blood alcohol content was 0.18 percent, over twice the legal limit to drive, more than three hours after the incident. He continued to drink “brazenly and publicly” throughout the prosecution, in violation of a court order, Nassau County DA Anne Donnelly said.
“Surveillance video even captured the defendant entering his local liquor store, buying a bottle of vodka, and uncapping it right in the parking lot at the same time he was scheduled and failed to appear for a court date in Joseph Devito’s tragic death,” she said.
On Monday, Aug. 26, Specht pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicular homicide, assault, and aggravated driving while intoxicated.
Following Wednesday’s sentencing, Donnelly described Devito as a "dependable and compassionate man.”
“Specht’s irresponsible drinking and reckless choices robbed the Devito family of a husband and father’s supportive presence,” she said.
“I hope that this defendant uses his significant prison sentence to reflect on the heartbreak that he has caused.”
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