A West Babylon man has pleaded guilty to driving at high rates of speed in Wyandanch in an attempt to avoid law enforcement, which resulted in a crash where a pedestrian was struck and killed.
On June 13, 2025, just before 7:30 p.m., in Wyandanch, police attempted to initiate a traffic stop of Jason Jean-Joseph, who was driving a 2018 BMW 5 Series. The defendant, whose driver’s license was suspended, saw the marked unit’s lights activate and drove away from the police vehicle at a high rate of speed. As Jean-Joseph turned onto Wyandanch Avenue, he accelerated in an eastbound direction and struck a jogger, Hillel Fuld.
Jean-Joseph left the victim lying in the roadway and fled from the scene without pulling over to check on his well-being. Fuld, 29, of New York City, was brought to Good Samaritan University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Following the crash, Jean-Joseph drove his vehicle to a location in Babylon and left it on the side of the road. When he fled the vehicle, he also discarded a loaded nine-millimeter pistol containing a high-capacity magazine in the wooded area south of John Street. Following an investigation, the defendant was arrested on August 29, 2025, by Suffolk County police.
On March 31, 2026, Jean-Joseph, 24, pleaded guilty to the following charges before Acting Supreme Court Justice Anthony S. Senft, Jr.:
- one count of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, a Class C violent felony
- one count of Manslaughter in the Second Degree, a Class C felony
- one count of Assault in the Second Degree, a Class D violent felony
- three counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree, all Class D felonies
- one count of Leaving the Scene of an Incident Without Reporting, a Class D felony
- one count of Unlawful Fleeing a Police Officer in the First Degree, a Class D felony
- one count of Tampering with Physical Evidence, a Class E felony
- one count of Reckless Endangerment in the Second Degree, a Class A misdemeanor
- one count of Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle in the Third Degree, an Unclassified misdemeanor
- one count of Reckless Driving, an Unclassified misdemeanor
“Fleeing from the police puts the lives of everyone in danger. Here, this defendant’s dangerous and reckless choice killed a 29-year-old man simply out jogging,” said Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney. “Nothing can bring back Hillel Fuld, but today’s plea affirms that the defendant will be held accountable for his unconscionable actions.”
Jean-Joseph is due back in court for sentencing on May 1, 2026.