Nassau Man Who Killed Minister In Crash Pleads Guilty

A Baldwin man pleaded guilty today to manslaughter and other charges stemming from a car crash in April that killed a minister.

Christopher Gomez-Almendarez, 24, pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter, second-degree assault and driving while ability impaired by a combination of drugs. He is expected to be sentenced to six years in prison on Jan. 24, 2020.

“Reverend Mammen was a father of five children and a cherished community and church leader when his life was tragically cut short by this defendant,” said Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas. “The combination of the defendant’s speed and his drug impairment was lethal to anyone in his path. Our condolences remain with his family, friends and parishioners.”

At 12:10 a.m. on April 19, which was Good Friday, Gomez-Almendarez was driving a Honda Civic at extremely high speeds while high on alprazolam and fentanyl. He was driving west on the Southern State Parkway in Massapequa when he rear-ended a GMC SUV being driven by 69-year-old Rev. Chacko Mammen. The crash caused Mammen's car to crash into several trees on the side of the road.

Singas said that crash data showed that Gomez-Almendarez was driving 86 to 91 MPH at the time of the crash, and that he did not try to slow down before he hit Mammen's car.

Mammen was taken to a hospital, where he alter died of his injuries. His wife, Wilsy Mammen, was in the front seat of the car and suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

Mammen was a minister at the Long Island Mar Thoma Church in Merrick.