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A Lindenhurst man pleaded not guilty Wednesday to multiple felony charges, including aggravated vehicular homicide, in connection with a high-speed, drunken crash in Freeport that killed a 55-year-old Queens man as he drove home from work in September, Nassau’s district attorney’s office announced.
Bryan Mizhirumbay, 24, was also charged with manslaughter, vehicular manslaughter, assault, driving while intoxicated and reckless driving at his arraignment before Judge Caryn Fink.
The judge set bail at $100,000 cash, $350,000 bond, or a $1.5 million partially secured bond. The court also ordered electronic monitoring, surrender of all passports, and a license suspension. If convicted, Mizhirumbay faces up to 8⅓ to 25 years in prison.
Prosecutors said the crash occurred shortly after 11 p.m. on Sept. 3, 2025, at the intersection of Atlantic Avenue and South Long Beach Road. Craig White had just finished his shift at AHRC Nassau and was driving north on South Long Beach Road when Mizhirumbay, eastbound on Atlantic Avenue, allegedly sped through a red light at about 90 mph, Nassau District Attorney Anne Donnelly said.
Investigators said Mizhirumbay drove 106 miles per hour in a 35-mile-per-hour zone moments before the crash and hit White’s vehicle at 90 miles per hour.
The impact sent both vehicles careening across the intersection. White’s car crashed through a fence at Atlantic Nursery, while the defendant’s vehicle came to rest on the westbound shoulder of Atlantic Avenue and became engulfed in flames.
White was found unconscious and trapped inside his vehicle, which had been pushed inward from the force of the collision. He was taken to Mount Sinai South Nassau Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Mizhirumbay was treated at Nassau University Medical Center.
Blood drawn from Mizhirumbay about an hour after the crash showed a blood alcohol concentration of .18 percent, more than twice the legal limit, the district attorney said.
Donnelly described White as a devoted direct support professional whose work centered on caring for individuals with developmental disabilities.
“Craig was a dedicated member of the AHRC staff, supporting the needs of individuals with disabilities serviced by the organization with kindness and compassion,” Donnelly said in a statement. “His loss at the hands of an alleged drunk driver devastated the community.”
Following his death, colleagues shared tributes describing White as a steady and deeply caring presence who often took extra shifts and built close bonds with the people he supported.
In a video dedication posted on social media, coworkers said White was known for his patience, his willingness to sit and work through puzzles and daily tasks, and for treating everyone in his care with dignity and warmth.
Mizhirumbay surrendered to the Nassau Police’s Homicide Squad earlier on Tuesday. He is due back in court on Feb. 26.
Top: (main, Facebook) Craig White, 55, was killed in a car wreck in Freeport on Sept. 3 when his car collided with a car driven by (inset, NCDA) Bryan Mizhirumbay, police said.
