LI Driver Fatally Struck Man, Drove Home Twice Before Calling 911: DA

WEST ISLIP, NY — A West Islip man has been indicted on manslaughter charges after prosecutors say he fatally struck a 27-year-old Bay Shore pedestrian on the Robert Moses Causeway while impaired by alcohol and drugs, then drove home twice before calling 911 about half an hour later.

Stephen Aylward, 63, was arraigned Sept. 18 on charges including second-degree manslaughter, second-degree vehicular manslaughter and leaving the scene of an incident without reporting a death, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said.

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The charges stem from a June 25 crash that killed Yusuf Gul, 27, of Bay Shore.

According to the investigation and indictment, Aylward was driving a 2012 Jeep Liberty southbound on the Robert Moses Causeway near Sunrise Highway around 1:30 p.m. when he veered off the roadway just south of Exit RM 2W-E.

Prosecutors say Aylward was under the influence of a combination of alcohol and drugs when he struck Gul, who was walking along the shoulder.

Gul was later pronounced dead.

Rather than stopping, prosecutors say Aylward continued southbound on the causeway and drove to his West Islip home, arriving around 1:35 p.m.

He then returned to the crash scene before driving home a second time, arriving at approximately 2 p.m., according to the district attorney's office.

Aylward called 911 at 2:03 p.m., roughly half an hour after the collision, prosecutors said.

Police subsequently responded to Aylward's home and placed him under arrest.

Aylward was originally arrested June 25 and charged with driving while ability impaired by the combined influence of alcohol and drugs, an unclassified misdemeanor, State Police previously said.

Following the investigation, a grand jury indicted Aylward on additional charges.

In addition to the manslaughter and leaving-the-scene charges, the indictment includes two counts of driving while intoxicated, driving while ability impaired by the combined influence of alcohol and drugs, and failure to maintain lane.

Aylward was arraigned before Acting Supreme Court Justice Philip Goglas, who ordered him held on $250,000 cash bail, $500,000 bond or $2.5 million partially secured bond.

The judge also suspended Aylward's driver's license during the pendency of the case.

Aylward faces a maximum sentence of five to 15 years in prison if convicted on the top count, prosecutors said. He is scheduled to return to court Oct. 16.

He is represented by attorney Luigi Belcastro, who was not immediately available for comment.

"Every driver has an absolute obligation to stop and to report their involvement in a crash," Tierney said. "This defendant allegedly did neither, resulting in the tragic death of a young man. I am grateful to the New York State Police for their thorough investigation, which enabled my office to bring these criminal charges."