Central Islip, NY - November 30, 2018 - Suffolk County District Attorney Timothy D. Sini today announced a 10-year prison sentence for a man who crashed a stolen vehicle into an occupied marked Suffolk County Police vehicle and seriously injured an officer during a snow storm on March 13.
Louis Mancini Jr., 31, of West Babylon, was sentenced today by Suffolk County Acting Supreme Court Justice Fernando Camacho to 10 years in prison followed by five years of post-release supervision. He pleaded guilty on Oct. 2 to Assault in the First Degree, a B felony; Driving While Ability Impaired by Drugs, an E felony; and Unlawful Fleeing of a Police Officer in a Motor Vehicle in the Second Degree, an E felony.
“Every one of the defendant’s actions that day was inexcusable, from stealing a car to driving recklessly in a snow storm while on drugs,” District Attorney Sini said. “He put many lives in danger that day, including the life of a Suffolk County Police officer who was on the road working to keep people safe. Thanks to the hard work of Assistant District Attorney Ray Varuolo, Mancini is being held accountable for his actions and will not be getting behind the wheel of a car for a long time.”
On March 13 at approximately 11:15 a.m., Mancini stole a 2013 GMC Yukon that had been left running and unoccupied outside of Frank’s Delicatessen located at 1018 Little East Neck Road in West Babylon. Mancini was driving at a high rate of speed northbound on Straight Path in West Babylon when he lost control of the vehicle and crossed into the southbound lane.
Mancini crashed head-on into an occupied marked Suffolk County Police vehicle that was responding to the 911 call placed by an employee of the deli to report the stolen vehicle.
The officer was extricated from the vehicle and transported by the North Babylon Fire Department to Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow. The officer suffered multiple fractures to his left leg and pelvis that required surgery.
A blood test revealed that Mancini had fentanyl and Clonazepam, a sedative, in his system at the time of the crash. Mancini was also operating the vehicle with a suspended driver’s license.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Raymond Varuolo, of the Vehicular Crime Bureau.