CENTRAL ISLIP — A 20-year-old Hauppauge man accused of driving while intoxicated and causing the crash that killed off-duty Nassau County Police Officer Patricia Espinosa was arraigned Friday in Suffolk County District Court, where prosecutors outlined an extensive timeline they said is supported by surveillance video, social media footage, vehicle data, and hospital toxicology results.
The arraignment marked the first in-court appearance for defendant Matthew Smith since his arrest following the Jan. 31 early-morning collision at Route 347 and Alexander Avenue in the St. James-Lake Grove area that claimed the life of the 42-year-old officer, a mother of a 2-year-old daughter, and a member of the Nassau County Police Department’s 5th Precinct.
Smith was arraigned on charges including driving while intoxicated, a misdemeanor, though prosecutors said upgraded felony charges — including aggravated vehicular homicide — are expected as the case proceeds to the grand jury. The charges carry an 8 to 25-year prison sentence if convicted.
Suffolk County Assistant District Attorney Emma Richards outlined what prosecutors say occurred in the hours leading up to and immediately following the crash, citing witness statements, surveillance video, vehicle telemetry, and toxicology analysis.
Prosecutors said that on Jan. 31 at around 6:07 a.m., Smith was operating a 2017 Chevrolet Silverado in a northbound direction on Alexander Avenue in Lake Grove. According to prosecutors, despite a steady red light, he continued straight through it at a high rate of speed. He struck a 2019 Alfa Romeo operated by Espinosa, who was the sole occupant of the vehicle, the DA said.
“Patricia Espinosa’s vehicle was found upside down at the scene of this horrific crash,” Richards said. “She was seen hanging upside down within that vehicle, and it took emergency responders over three minutes to extricate her. She was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital, where she was pronounced dead almost immediately upon arrival.”
Nassau County Police Benevolent Association President Tommy Shevlin stands alongside the husband, Francisco Malaga, and brother of fallen Nassau County Police Officer Patricia Espinosa, who were visibly emotional following the arraignment in Central Islip. (Kepherd Daniel/Patch)
A passenger riding in the Silverado — identified by prosecutors as John Andali — suffered a head injury when his head struck the passenger-side windshield and remained admitted at Stony Brook University Hospital with serious injuries, including pelvic and spinal fractures, the DA said.
Prosecutors said Smith sustained injuries to his right leg, consistent with damage to the driver’s side of his truck. Suffolk County police observed signs of intoxication while interacting with Smith at the scene and on the way to the hospital, including slurred speech and bloodshot, watery eyes, and that a witness reported to police that the occupants of the truck were intoxicated, the DA said.
According to prosecutors, Andali told detectives he had been at the James Joyce Bar and Restaurant in Patchogue with his girlfriend, then went across the street to a restaurant called Lindo Mexico, where he met Smith, and discussed going to Jake’s 58 Casino Hotel. Prosecutors said Andali reported that Smith drove the Silverado, with Andali in the passenger seat, and during the drive, he observed Smith going through red lights and stop signs and described him as “driving crazy.”
Andali told detectives that when they arrived at Jake’s 58, they entered but were told it was closed, so they left, and Andali again got into the passenger side while Smith drove, prosecutors said. Andali placed his home address into Smith’s phone for GPS navigation; his home address is in Centereach, which prosecutors believe was where Smith was headed when the crash occurred, the DA said.
Richards told the court that police recovered video from multiple locations and sources and tied those videos to the timeline described by Andali. Video from the Patchogue area shows Smith drinking inside the James Joyce bar, and additional surveillance video shows him getting into the driver’s seat of the Silverado and leaving at around 5:39 a.m., the DA said.
Prosecutors said video recovered from Jake’s 58 shows the Silverado entering the parking lot at around 5:47 a.m., with Smith exiting the driver’s seat, and additional video from inside the casino shows Smith and Andali inside the establishment, where prosecutors said Smith appeared unsteady and had difficulty balancing. Prosecutors said the video then shows Smith getting back into the driver’s seat at around 5:49 a.m. and leaving the Jake’s 58 parking lot.
Police recovered video posted to Andali’s Instagram account that prosecutors said shows Andali in the passenger seat about a half hour before the crash, while the driver — believed by investigators to be Smith — drove erratically, speeding and weaving around stopped traffic on what prosecutors said appeared to be Patchogue-Holbrook Road in Holtsville.
Multiple other videos recorded by Andali in the same time window depict the truck weaving in and out of traffic at high speeds, using the HOV lane and turn lanes, and even driving on shoulders to pass vehicles, and that at least one video shows Smith sitting in the driver’s seat, the DA said.
She also detailed data obtained through search warrants executed on the vehicle’s onboard systems.
“Roughly one second prior to impact, the defendant was going 70 miles per hour — this is in a 30-mile-per-hour speed zone,” Richards said. “During that same period of time, the event data recorder shows that the brake was off. In fact, leading up to the impact, the gas pedal was pressed at 99 percent.”
According to Richards, the vehicle’s infotainment system showed earlier peak speeds of 125 miles per hour while traveling from Patchogue to Jake’s 58 Casino Hotel and 117 miles per hour on the return trip. Investigators also recovered items from the vehicle, including a bottle of Bacardi rum, a shot glass, rolling papers, a vape, and a stun gun, she said.
Richards told the court that prosecutors said a blood sample taken at Stony Brook University Hospital 40 minutes after the crash revealed a 0.20 percent blood-alcohol concentration, twice the legal limit. Smith, 20, is not legally able to drink alcohol, the DA said.
Judge Eric Sachs suspended Smith’s driving privileges pending prosecution and set bail at $1 million cash, $2 million bond, or $10 million partially secured at 10 percent, the DA said. Smith has pleaded not guilty and is represented by defense attorney Anthony La Pinta.
Defense attorney Anthony La Pinta speaks to reporters following the arraignment of Matthew Smith at Suffolk County District Court in Central Islip, flanked by Smith’s parents. (Kepherd Daniel/Patch)
“The loss of Patricia Espinosa is a deep wound to our entire community,” La Pinta said. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to her family, her friends, and fellow police officers. We’ll move forward on Matthew’s behalf in a respectful, sensitive, and dignified manner. This is a horrible tragedy that has affected our entire community. There are broken hearts on both sides of the courtroom, and there have been two families that have been devastated, and a 20-year-old man is facing very serious charges. Allow this process to evolve one careful step at a time.”
Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney issued a written statement mourning Espinosa and pledging accountability through the courts.
“Our hearts are heavy as we mourn the tragic loss of Officer Espinosa, a dedicated law enforcement officer from Nassau County,” Tierney said. “The law enforcement family is a shared one, and when we lose an officer, we all grieve together.”
In the days leading up to the arraignment, hundreds of officers and community members gathered in St. James for visitation and funeral services honoring Espinosa. Fire trucks from the St. James and Nesconset fire departments displayed a large American flag outside the funeral home as officers lined up in dress blues to pay their respects. Nassau County Police Benevolent Association President Tommy Shevlin said Espinosa’s memory will endure through her daughter and the department she served.
“On behalf of Patty’s entire family, we are all heartbroken,” Shevlin said. “What we witnessed in the arraignment isn’t just one bad decision. This is a bunch of bad decisions by this person who has lived a reckless life for the last few years while driving on our streets.”
The case was adjourned to early March for the next court date.
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