Crime & Safety
LI Man Involved In Fatal Crash To Appear In Court On Wednesday
Noah Slusser, 21, of Medford, was charged with driving while intoxicated on Aug. 27, following a crash in Middle Island, police say.
SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY — The Medford man accused of driving drunk in a crash that resulted in another man's death is set to appear in court on Wednesday, the Suffolk County District Attorney's office said.
Noah Slusser was driving a 2017 Ford Taurus southbound on Wilson Drive when his vehicle struck a 2025 Toyota that was parked on the street in front of a home on Wilson Drive at around 12 a.m. on Aug. 27, Suffolk police said.
The Toyota's driver, James Baldassarri, 44, of Holtsville, was initially taken to Stony Brook University Hospital with serious injuries, but succumbed Aug. 29, according to police.
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Police initially charged Slusser, 21, with driving while intoxicated.
A spokeswoman for District Attorney Ray Tierney previously declined to comment as to whether he would face upgraded charges in light of Baldassarri's death.
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Slusser pleaded not guilty to the charge, and his license was suspended at his arraignment in First District Court in Central Islip, online court records show. He was released on his own recognizance, according to the records.
He was represented by the Legal Aid Society, whose attorneys do not comment on cases.
In a post to Facebook, Baldassarri was remembered as "the kindest person," who did not have "a bad bone" in his body.
"You only wished everyone well and wanted to be surrounded by family," his sister, Jeanine Baldassarri wrote. "You were the fun uncle also known as 'goo goo gaga.' You had a beautiful smile and always made us laugh. [Rest in peace] our beautiful brother ... you are loved so deeply."
Patch has reached out to Baldassarri's family.
Another person inside Baldassarri's vehicle, a 27-year-old woman from Middle Island, was taken to NYU Langone Hospital – Suffolk in East Patchogue for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries, according to police.
Both Slusser's and Baldassarri's vehicles were impounded for a safety check, police said.
Detectives are asking anyone with information about the crash to call the 6th Squad in Selden at 631-854-8652.
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