Massapequa Man Sentenced to Prison For Fatal Head-On Crash: DA

MASSAPEQUA, NY - A Massapequa man who plead guilty in driving while on drugs in a fatal head-on crash that killed his 28-year old passenger last year, was recently sentenced to three to nine years in prison, according to the Nassau County DA.

Michael Bantel, 28, plead guilty on May 13 before Supreme Court Justice Angelo Delligatti to charges including:

• second degree manslaughter
• second degree vehicular manslaughter
• driving while ability impaired by the combined influence of drugs or alcohol and drugs
• third degree assault

He was sentenced by Judge Delligatti on Friday.

On May 5, 2015, Bantel was driving eastbound on Sunrise Highway in Massapequa in a 2005 Nissan Maxima when he drove across the median into oncoming traffic and crashed head-on with a 2014 Ford pickup truck at the Hicksville Road intersection at about 4:45 a.m. the DA said.

Bantel’s passenger, 28-year-old Anthony Sylvia, died from injuries caused by the accident soon after at Nassau University Medical Center, the DA said.

Both the 37-year-old driver of the Ford and Bantel, who was impaired by "more than one narcotic drug at the time of the crash," were treated for minor injuries, according to the DA.

The driver of the Ford had borrowed the pickup truck because her normal car, a sedan, was being serviced at the time.

“Drugged drivers threaten everyone around them,” DA Madeline Singas said. “One man’s life was taken and woman’s life was endangered by this dangerous driver’s recklessness."