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A Hauppauge man pleaded not guilty Friday to a battery of charges stemming from an early morning car wreck in St. James that killed Nassau County Police Officer Patricia Espinosa last month.
Matthew Smith, 20, entered his plea at his arraignment before Supreme Court Justice Timothy Mazzei on an indictment charging him with two counts of aggravated vehicular homicide, vehicular manslaughter, aggravated vehicular assault, DWI and other felonies, misdemeanors and traffic violations.
Mazzei ordered Smith, who is being represented by defense attorney Anthony LaPinta, held without bail pending the outcome of the case. If convicted on the top count of aggravated vehicular homicide, Smith faces 8⅓ to 25 years behind bars.
Suffolk District Attorney Raymond Tierney called the crash “a devastating consequence of reckless and unlawful behavior behind the wheel” and vowed his office would “pursue this case vigorously and seek full accountability under the law.”
Tierney said his office stands with Espinosa’s family, friends and colleagues “as they continue to mourn this profound loss.”
Officer Espinosa was driving to work
The indictment alleges that on Jan. 31 (early on a Sunday morning) was driving his Chevrolet Silverado pickup northbound on Alexander Avenue in St. James at a high rate of speed after allegedly consuming alcohol the previous Saturday night in Patchogue. He ran a red light and struck Espinosa’s Alfa Romeo SUV while she was driving to work, authorities said.
Espinosa, the mother of a 2-year-old girl, was pronounced dead at Stony Brook University Hospital. Smith’s passenger sustained serious injuries, including pelvic and spinal fractures and a severe head laceration, authorities said.
In the hours leading up to the fatal crash, Smith was allegedly warned by multiple people not to drive, including people inside James Joyce bar in downtown Patchogue, where Smith was allegedly drinking.
“Before leaving the bar in Patchogue, [Smith] was warned by multiple people not to drive,” Assistant District Attorney Emma Richards said in court on Friday, the New York Post reported.
“Despite this warning, the defendant dangled his keys in front of multiple people’s faces at the bar and drove anyway,” Richards said of Smith, who is scheduled to return to court on April 20.
Authorities said Smith drove away from Patchogue toward Jake’s 58 at speeds that reached 125 mph. He and his friend tried to get into the Hauppauge casino, but they were denied entry because it had already closed.
They then headed north toward St. James.
“This is obviously a very difficult and emotional case, LaPinta said in a Newsday report. “We will provide Matthew with the zealous defense he is entitled to, and we will do it with respect and dignity.”
Prior coverage
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