A Yaphank woman was sentenced to four to 12 years for causing a fatal crash in November 2024 in Middle Island that killed a 75-year-old passenger in another car and injured the driver. Koprowski was intoxicated and impaired by marijuana at the time of the crash.
On November 22, 2024, at approximately 8:39 p.m., Melissa Koprowski was operating a 2014 Dodge Durango eastbound on Middle Country Road in Middle Island when she entered the intersection at Wading River Hollow Road and attempted to make a left-hand turn in front of oncoming traffic, without having the right of way.
At that time, a blue 2022 Nissan Rogue was traveling westbound on Middle Country Road, proceeding through the intersection with a green light. The driver’s two-year-old child and 75-year-old mother, Esther Guy, were seated in the backseat of the Nissan Rogue. Koprowski’s SUV crashed head-on into the Nissan Rogue within the westbound lane of the intersection, sending the Rogue off the road and into the wooded shoulder.
Immediately following the crash, Suffolk County police and other emergency responders rendered aid to those involved in the collision. All three occupants of the Nissan Rogue were transported via ambulance to Long Island Community Hospital, where the driver of the Nissan Rogue was treated for her injuries. Esther Guy was pronounced dead shortly after her arrival at the hospital. The two-year-old child was uninjured.
Koprowski was also transported to Long Island Community Hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. While at the hospital, officers observed that she displayed indicia of intoxication and placed her under arrest. Subsequent toxicology testing revealed a blood alcohol concentration of .12% and a high level of THC (the active ingredient of marijuana).
On October 1, 2025, Koprowski pleaded guilty before Acting Supreme Court Justice Richard I. Horowitz, to the following charges contained in the indictment:
- Manslaughter in the Second Degree, a Class C felony
- Vehicular Manslaughter in the Second Degree, a Class D felony
- Assault in the Second Degree, a Class D violent felony
- Assault in the Third Degree, a Class A misdemeanor
- Two counts of Driving While Intoxicated, unclassified misdemeanors
- Driving While Ability Impaired by Drugs, a Class A misdemeanor
- Driving While Ability Impaired by the Combination of Alcohol and a Drug, an unclassified misdemeanor
- Reckless Driving, an unclassified misdemeanor
On November 7, 2025, Koprowski was sentenced to four to 12 years in prison.
“Esther Guy was simply out for a drive with her granddaughter when the defendant made the reckless choice to drive while intoxicated, which claimed Esther’s life,” said Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney. “We hope that today’s sentence sends the message that driving drunk or high has life and death consequences.”