A cardiologist who fled the scene of a car crash that left an aspiring nurse dead on June 14 is now facing upgraded charges. The 55-year-old doctor was indicted on Dec. 1 on charges of manslaughter as well as other charges. After authorities caught him, they reportedly observed that he appeared to be unsteady while standing, had slurred speech, smelled of alcohol and had red eyes. After a test was performed, it allegedly revealed that alcohol was in his system 90 minutes after the crash occurred and that his blood alcohol level was .12 percent. The physician had been drinking at a gentleman’s club prior to the accident; police charged him with driving while intoxicated.
The woman who died was commuting to her job as a dialysis technician at St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center in Smithtown when she was injured in the accident at the intersection of Route 111 and East Main Street. She was pronounced dead at the same hospital at which she was employed. Family members have described the mother of three as extremely devoted to her children, church and medical profession.
The doctor is now being charged with vehicular manslaughter, second-degree manslaughter, reckless driving, leaving the scene of an incident without reporting and driving while intoxicated. His family has described him as a well-respected member of the community and a devoted father.
A Suffolk County district attorney said it was disturbing that the physician could have helped the woman by rendering medical attention or at least by calling the police to assist her but instead chose to collect his backpack and walk away from the car accident. The victim’s family has filed a multi-million dollar wrongful death suit.
Source: CBS New York , “Doctor Faces Upgraded Charges In Deadly Smithtown Crash“, December 01, 2014
