Pedestrian Killed In Overnight Bay Shore Crash; Driver Fled, Then Came Back: DA

BAY SHORE, NY — A North Bellport man has been indicted after prosecutors said he struck and killed a pedestrian on the Sunrise Highway service road in Bay Shore, fled the scene, then returned hours later before being arrested on impaired-driving and suspended-license charges.

Andrew Holmes-Garriques, 27, was arraigned Friday on charges of leaving the scene of an incident without reporting, a Class D felony; driving while impaired by drugs, an unclassified misdemeanor; and third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, an unclassified misdemeanor, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said.

Holmes-Garriques is accused of striking Korey Klein, 37, of Bellport, at about 1:15 a.m. on Feb. 13 while driving a 2008 Mercedes-Benz east on the South Service Road of Sunrise Highway in Bay Shore, prosecutors said.

Klein was walking on the road when Holmes-Garriques struck him from behind, causing debris to scatter across the roadway, prosecutors said. Holmes-Garriques then fled without helping Klein or reporting the crash to law enforcement, prosecutors said.

Hours after the crash, Holmes-Garriques returned to the scene, prosecutors said. At about 5:15 a.m., a passenger in his vehicle called 911, prosecutors said.

Members of the Bay Shore-Brightwaters Rescue Ambulance arrived and pronounced Klein dead, prosecutors said.

Suffolk County police officers also arrived and found Holmes-Garriques sitting in the driver’s seat of the Mercedes, prosecutors said. While speaking with him, officers smelled a strong odor of marijuana coming from him, and Holmes-Garriques performed poorly on standardized field sobriety tests, prosecutors said.

He was arrested at the scene on a charge of driving while impaired by drugs, prosecutors said. Investigators also determined that his license to drive in New York had been suspended, prosecutors said.

As the fatal crash investigation continued, surveillance video recovered by law enforcement showed Holmes-Garriques driving the Mercedes before the crash, when the vehicle did not appear damaged, prosecutors said. A later surveillance video showed him driving the same Mercedes with damage to the driver ’s-side headlight after the crash, but hours before the 911 call was made, prosecutors said.

Supreme Court Justice Richard Ambro ordered Holmes-Garriques held on $75,000 cash, $100,000 bond, or $500,000 partially secured bond while the case is pending.

Holmes-Garriques is due back in court on June 1. He faces up to 2 1/3 to 7 years in prison if convicted of the top count, prosecutors said.

He is represented by Robert Macedonio, who was not immediately available for comment.

“Driving is a privilege, not a right. When your license is suspended, you cannot legally drive on our roadways,” Tierney said. “This defendant’s license to drive in New York State was allegedly suspended when he allegedly struck and killed Korey Klein, and when he was later arrested the same night for allegedly driving while impaired by marijuana. My office will continue to aggressively prosecute those who violate our vehicle and traffic laws in Suffolk County.”