Plea From Driver Who Ran Red Light And Killed 2 In New City

NEW CITY, NY — Nanuet resident Matthew Sindone has pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicular homicide in the deaths of Neil and Aline Block of New City. He is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 10.

Sindone ran a red light June 4 in a Lincoln MKT and smashed into the Blocks' Toyota at the intersection of Route 304 and Goebel Road.

First responders pronounced Neil Block dead at the scene of the collision. Aline Block was declared dead after being extricated from the mangled Toyota.

Sindone suffered cuts to his head and was taken to Nyack Hospital, where Town of Clarkstown police officers recovered Xanax from his pocket. Sindone admitted to using Xanax and Klonopin in the hours before the fatal crash. A subsequent analysis of his blood revealed 1500 ng/mL of Xanax, an incredibly high amount indicative of the level of his impairment at the time.

“This case should be disturbing to any driver in Rockland County,” said Rockland County District Attorney Thomas P. Zugibe. “The defendant’s decision to get behind the wheel of a vehicle while impaired by drugs resulted in the deaths of two innocent people. Their family will never be whole again. Reckless behavior such as that exhibited by this defendant can neither be tolerated nor go unpunished.”

Sindone, 24, of 73 Church St., was remanded until sentencing, which is scheduled for Jan. 10. He faces an indeterminate sentence of a minimum of four years to a maximum of twelve years in state.

First Assistant District Attorney James Mellion and Senior Assistant District Attorney Michael
Dugandzic prosecuted the case.

SEE: Victims Of Fatal Route 304 Crash Identified