"Despite that red light, he continued straight through that red light at a high rate of speed and struck a 2019 Alfa Romeo operated by Nassau County Police Officer Patricia Espinosa. Patricia Espinosa's vehicle was found upside down at the scene of this horrific crash. It took emergency responders over 30 minutes to extricate her from that vehicle."
"Matthew Smith, 20, was indicted on 19 charges, including two counts of aggravated vehicular homicide, the top charge in the case, which carries a potential sentence of 8⅓ to 25 years in prison if convicted."
"Assistant District Attorney Emma Richards described a sequence of events that prosecutors say included heavy drinking, reckless driving captured on video, and vehicle data showing extreme speeds before the crash."
Matthew Smith, 20, of Hauppauge was indicted on 19 charges following a fatal crash on January 31, 2026, that killed off-duty Nassau County Police Officer Patricia Espinosa, 42. Smith was driving a 2017 Chevrolet Silverado northbound on Alexander Avenue in Saint James when he ran a red light at high speed and struck Espinosa's 2019 Alfa Romeo. The collision overturned her vehicle, and emergency responders required over 30 minutes to extract her. Espinosa was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital where she was pronounced dead. The two counts of aggravated vehicular homicide carry potential sentences of 8⅓ to 25 years. Smith was ordered held without bail. Espinosa is survived by her husband, also a Nassau County police officer, and a two-year-old daughter.
Read at Smithtown, NY Patch
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