Noah Slusser, 21, of Medford, faces charges after fatal Middle Island crash that killed James Baldassarri, of Holtsville
Suffolk police said Noah Slusser was southbound on Wilson Drive in a 2017 Ford Taurus south when he struck a parked car, fatally injuring one its occupants. Credit: Paul Mazza
A Holtsville man sitting in a parked car that was struck by an alleged drunk driver early Wednesday morning in Middle Island has died, Suffolk County police said.
James Baldassarri, 44, died from injuries sustained in the crash, which occurred about 12:05 a.m. on Wilson Drive, police said in a news release Saturday.
Baldassarri was an occupant of a parked 2025 Toyota when it was struck by a 2017 Ford Taurus driven by Noah Slusser, 21, of Medford, police said in a previous news release. Baldassarri had been taken to Stony Brook University Hospital with serious injuries from the crash.
Slusser was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated, police said. Online court records show Slusser pleaded not guilty during his arraignment on Thursday in front of Justice Bernard Cheng and had his driver's license suspended pending the outcome of the case.
Citing the ongoing investigation, a spokesperson with the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office on Saturday afternoon declined to comment on any upgraded charges following Baldassarri's death.
Another occupant of the Toyota, Crystal Springman, 27, of Middle Island, was transported to NYU Langone Hospital-Suffolk in Patchogue with non-life-threatening injuries, police said. Police did not provide an update on Springman's condition on Saturday.
Hofstra, faculty agree to contract extension through week ... Jericho, East Williston go back to school ... Little lending libraries ... Out East: North Fork Foodie Tour
Hofstra, faculty agree to contract extension through week ... Jericho, East Williston go back to school ... Little lending libraries ... Out East: North Fork Foodie Tour
