Overview
- On Jan. 31, Officer Patricia Espinosa, a nine-year Nassau police veteran, was killed when a pickup ran a red light and struck her car while she was driving to work.
- Matthew Smith, 21, pleaded guilty on June 11 to aggravated vehicular homicide, manslaughter, aggravated vehicular assault, assault, and aggravated DWI and agreed to forfeit his truck.
- Prosecutors said Smith had a blood-alcohol concentration of .20 when tested about 40 minutes after the crash and that vehicle data and witness videos show high speeds and erratic driving before the collision.
- In a sworn allocution Smith admitted buying and drinking alcohol that night at multiple Suffolk County businesses that he says never asked for proof of age.
- Espinosa’s family praised investigators, said the plea spares them a trial, announced plans to pursue civil claims against the establishments, and the case has renewed local scrutiny of underage alcohol sales and enforcement.