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Joseph Norris, age 40, of Babylon, copped to multiple charges, including aggravated vehicular homicide, in Suffolk County Court on Tuesday, May 23, in the death of Anthony Mariano in November 2020.
According to the Suffolk County DA’s Office, Norris, an off-duty New York City firefighter, had a blood alcohol content nearly three times the legal limit when he got behind the wheel of his Chevrolet pickup truck on the evening of Nov. 20, 2020.
He eventually drove onto the Sunken Meadow Parkway, going southbound in the northbound lanes for nearly four miles before he slammed into Mariano’s vehicle head on, prosecutors said.
The 44-year-old Mariano, a Kings Park resident who taught history at Benjamin N. Cardozo High School in Bayside, Queens, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Norris was taken to Southside Hospital in Bay Shore, where doctors were forced to amputate both of his legs, according to prosecutors.
Toxicology results showed he had a blood alcohol content of .29 percent.
“This tragic event claimed the life of a beloved Suffolk County school teacher. We realize and are saddened by the fact that no sentence here can return Mr. Mariano to his family and students,” Suffolk County DA Raymond Tierney said in a statement.
Tierney added that the case should serve as a reminder for drivers to be safe on the roadway heading into the busy summer driving season.
“I urge everyone to use good judgment before you get behind the wheel, and in doing so, help keep our roads, other drivers, and pedestrians safe,” he said.
In court Tuesday, Norris pleaded guilty to the following charges:
- Aggravated vehicular homicide (felony)
- Second-degree manslaughter (felony)
- Aggravated driving while intoxicated (misdemeanor)
He is due back in court for sentencing on Wednesday, July 19.
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