Man Indicted After Crash That Critically Injured Toddler: DA

MASTIC BEACH, NY — A North Amityville man was indicted after leaving the scene of a Mastic Beach rollover crash that critically injured a toddler and left four others seriously hurt, Suffolk County District Attorney Tim Sini said.

Sini announced the unsealing of the 15-count indictment against Ronald Hubbard, 45; he was charged with four counts of second degree assault, a felony; first degree making an apparently sworn false statement, a felony; first degree offering a false instrument for filing, a felony; leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death or serious physical injury, a felony; third degree assault, a misdemeanor; second degree reckless endangerment, a misdemeanor; second degree criminal impersonation, a misdemeanor; endangering the welfare of a child, a misdemeanor; false personation, a misdemeanor; reckless driving, a misdemeanor; second degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, a misdemeanor; and third degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, a misdemeanor, Sini said.

“After causing a car crash that injured his own three passengers, one of whom is only 18 months old, and two people in another car, this defendant showed absolutely no remorse,” Sini said. “He walked away from the destruction, lied to police about his involvement and ultimately fled the state to avoid taking responsibility for his careless actions.”

On March 20, Hubbard was driving a 2006 Nissan Altima west on Neighborhood Road in Mastic Beach when a Suffolk County Police officer, who was traveling east, observed that the vehicle did not have a front license plate, Sini said.

The officer began to turn around to initiate a traffic stop when Hubbard fled onto Oakwood Drive before turning southbound on Flower Road, Sini said. Hubbard drove at a high rate of speed, blowing through the stop sign at the intersection of Flower Road and Neighborhood Road, and struck a 2017 Toyota RAV4, causing the Toyota to overturn, Sini said.

All three passengers in the Nissan, Sabine Auguste, 34, of Ridge, Jamel Hubbard, 33, of Wyandanch, and an 18-month-old boy, were seriously injured in the crash; the boy remains in critical condition, Sini said.

The passengers in the Toyota, Maryann Valentin, 59, and James Mayo, 56, both of Shirley, were also injured in the crash, Sini said.

Hubbard exited the vehicle following the crash and told responding police officers that he was a bystander who was uninvolved in the crash; he provided a statement to police using the name “David Williams," Sini said.

Following an investigation by the Suffolk County Police Department’s Major Case Unit and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, Hubbard was identified as the driver of the Nissan, Sini said.

Hubbard was apprehended on March 26 in Redding, Pennsylvania, on open warrants for his arrest; he was transported back to Suffolk County on April 10, Sini said. Hubbard was arraigned on the indictment Thursday by Suffolk County Acting Supreme Court Justice Fernando Camacho; bail was set at $500,000 cash or $1 million bond, Sini said.

He is due back in court on May 29.If convicted of the top count, Hubbard faces a maximum sentence of up to seven years in prison, Sini said.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Maggie Bopp, of the Vehicular Crime Bureau.