Crash Sent Officer to the Hospital
A Brentwood man was indicted for assaulting a police officer after causing a crash that resulted in the officer’s vehicle hitting a tree and the officer needing to be extricated from the vehicle.
On January 5, just before 6:00 p.m., Officer Brendon Gallagher was conducting a traffic stop of another motorist on the Long Island Expressway between exits 57 and 58. Cody Fisher allegedly sped by Gallagher in a 2021 Ford Mustang and revved his engine. Gallagher left the traffic stop he was at, and then tried to pull Fisher over.
As Gallagher pulled alongside the defendant’s car, Fisher allegedly hit Gallagher’s police vehicle, causing it to lose control, flip on its side, and smash into a tree on the side of the expressway.
Gallagher needed to be extricated from the vehicle and was airlifted to Stony Brook University Hospital where he was treated for serious injuries including a torn aorta and abdominal injuries which required surgery. Gallagher remains at the hospital.
Following the crash, Fisher’s vehicle allegedly traveled hundreds of feet on the side of the road before coming to rest. When police arrived, they observed that Fisher had glassy bloodshot eyes, slurred speech, and was unsteady on his feet. The officers also observed a strong smell of burnt marijuana emanating from Fisher and his vehicle. Fisher was placed under arrest and refused to submit to a chemical test of his blood.
On January 17, Fisher was arraigned on the indictment before Supreme Court Justice John B. Collins, for the following charges contained in the indictment:
- assault on a police officer, a Class C violent felony
- second-degree assault, a Class D violent felony
- second-degree vehicular assault, a Class E felony
- second-degree unlawful fleeing a police officer, a Class E felony
- second-degree reckless endangerment, a Class A misdemeanor
- driving while ability impaired by drugs, an Unclassified misdemeanor
- driving while ability impaired by the combined influence of a drug or alcohol and drugs, an unclassified misdemeanor
- third-degree unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, an unclassified misdemeanor
- reckless driving, an unclassified misdemeanor
- speeding, a traffic infraction
Collins ordered Fisher to be held on $1 million cash, $2 million bond, or $10 million partially secured bond during the pendency of the case, and Fisher’s driving privileges in New York State were suspended.
“The serious injuries sustained by Officer Gallagher, who was simply upholding his duty to protect our community, underscores the devastating consequences of dangerous driving,” said Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney. “The charges contained in the indictment reflect the severity of these actions, and we intend to hold the defendant fully accountable under the law.”
Fisher is due back in court on February 20, 2025, and if convicted of the top count, he faces up to 15 years in prison.