Man Charged With BWI In Boat Crash That Killed 1, Injured 3: Cops

MATTITUCK, NY — A man was charged with boating while intoxicated in a Mattituck crash that killed a 27-year-old woman and injured three Sunday night, police said.

Francesco Distefano, 48, of East Northport, is the owner of the vessel and police have cause to believe that he was the operator; he is currently being charged with one count of boating while intoxicated, a misdemeanor, police said. He was released on an appearance ticket and will be arraigned in Southold Town Justice Court later this month; more charges are anticipated, police said.

At 9:17 p.m. on Sunday, Southold Police said they were dispatched to a residence on Old Salt Rd. in Mattituck where a 39-foot Cobalt power boat collided with a bulkhead fronting on Great Peconic Bay, about 200 feet west of the entrance to James Creek.

Officers discovered the vessel around 150 feet from the shoreline with four persons onboard, police said. The four sustained varying degrees of serious injuries; there was also substantial damage to both the bulkhead and the vessel, indicating that the collision occurred at significant speed, police said.

Two of the boaters were airlifted to Stony Brook University Hospital via Suffolk County aviation, police said; two were transported to Peconic Bay Medical Center by Mattituck and Cutchogue Fire Department ambulances.

Kelley Blanchard, 27, of Riverhead was pronounced dead at PBMC, police said. Distefano, Nick Soullas, 41, of Jamesport and Megan Blanchard, 29, of New Suffolk all remained hospitalized as of Monday afternoon, police said.

First responders from the Mattituck and Cutchogue Fire Departments responded to the scene. Southold Town Bay Constables and officers from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation assisted also at the scene. New York State Police assisted in the investigation which is being led by the Southold Town Police Department's detective division, police said. The response was also monitored by the United States Coast Guard, police said.