Overview
- A judge sentenced Matthew Smith on Monday, July 20, 2026, to 7 1/3 to 22 years in New York state prison after his June guilty plea to aggravated vehicular homicide and related charges.
- Prosecutors say Smith, who was 20 at the time of the crash, ran a red light in Saint James and struck Officer Patricia Espinosa’s car after speeding and drinking throughout the night.
- Investigators reported Smith’s blood alcohol concentration was .20, more than twice the legal limit, and they found a bottle of rum and a shot glass in his truck.
- Officer Patricia Espinosa, 42, was taken to Stony Brook Hospital and pronounced dead; her husband, fellow officer Francisco Malaga, arrived at the scene and later delivered emotional court testimony.
- A civil dram shop action brought by the family is proceeding and names bars, a liquor store and other adults as defendants, arguing New York law holds servers liable for selling alcohol to underage or visibly intoxicated patrons.