A Bay Shore man was arraigned on a 13-count indictment for an April DWI crash in Massapequa that killed a 48-year-old and seriously injured his wife. The defendant’s father was also indicted on reckless endangerment charges for allegedly serving his son liquor before the crash.
On April 19 at approximately 9:03 p.m., Brian August was driving a 2023 Bentley eastbound on Sunrise Highway in Massapequa. August was stopped at a red light in the left turning lane of Sunrise Highway and Unqua Road when he abruptly turned to the right across the eastbound lanes of traffic and struck a Polaris Slingshot, driven by Willie Singleton with his wife in the passenger seat, that was traveling in the eastbound lanes.
Singleton, 48, was ejected from the Polaris into another car parked at a red light near Unqua Road. He was transported to Good Samaritan Hospital. where he was pronounced dead at approximately 9:46 p.m.
Singleton’s wife suffered significant injuries to her hips and legs, which required emergency surgery. The victim had a rod implanted into her leg and frequently must use a wheelchair or walker.
Blood drawn from August approximately four hours after the crash revealed a Blood Alcohol Content of .20%. A subsequent investigation revealed that he allegedly drank multiple shots of vodka inside of the Bentley before the fatal crash. A 1.75-liter bottle of vodka, in addition to numerous empty half-liter bottles of vodka, was recovered from the vehicle.
Brian Kitchen, August’s father, allegedly served his son some of the liquor he consumed in the vehicle before the fatal crash.
August was arrested on April 19 by members of the Nassau County Police Department. Kitchen was arrested on October 22.
On October 22, August, 19, was arraigned before Judge Terence P. Murphy on charges of two counts of Aggravated Vehicular Homicide (a Class B felony); Vehicular Manslaughter in the First Degree (a Class C felony); Vehicular Manslaughter in the Second Degree (a Class D felony); Manslaughter in the Second Degree (a Class C felony); two counts of Assault in the Second Degree (a Class D violent felony); Aggravated Vehicular Assault (a Class C felony); Vehicular Assault in the First Degree (a Class D felony); Vehicular Assault in the Second Degree (a Class E felony); Aggravated Driving While Intoxicated, Driving While Intoxicated and Reckless Driving (all unclassified misdemeanors).
August pleaded not guilty, and his bail remains $500,000 cash, $1.25 million bond, and $2 million partially secured bond. NCDA requested that the defendant be remanded. He is due back in court on December 2. If convicted, he faces up to 8-1/3 to 25 years in prison.
Kitchen, 42, was arraigned on the same day on charges of Reckless Endangerment in the First Degree (a Class D felony) and Reckless Endangerment in the Second Degree (a Class A misdemeanor). He pleaded not guilty and was released on his own recognizance. He is also due back in court on December 2. If convicted, he faces up to 2-1/3 to seven years in prison.
“Brian August was allegedly in the driver’s seat of his father’s Bentley tossing back multiple shots of vodka in the hours before he drove onto Sunrise Highway, crashed into Willie Singleton’s Slingshot, and ended the man’s life. Some of those shots, unbelievably, were allegedly poured and served to him by his own father,” said Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly. “Now, Willie’s wife, also seriously injured in the crash, is forced to recover from this horrific and senseless act without the support of the man she loved. Our thoughts are with her as we prosecute this case and bring this defendant to justice for the pain and loss his alleged reckless actions have caused.”