Man Indicted In LI Crash That Killed Nassau Officer After ‘Dangling Keys’ At Bar: DA

RIVERHEAD, NY — A Hauppauge man accused of driving while intoxicated in a crash that killed off-duty Nassau County Police Officer Patricia Espinosa was indicted Friday on multiple new charges, including two counts of aggravated vehicular homicide, and ordered held without bail, Suffolk County prosecutors said.

Matthew Smith, 20, was indicted on 19 charges, including two counts of aggravated vehicular homicide, the top charge in the case, which carries a potential sentence of 8⅓ to 25 years in prison if convicted.

Smith appeared before Supreme Court Justice Timothy Mazzei at the Arthur M. Cromarty Court Complex in Riverhead.

Assistant District Attorney Emma Richards described a sequence of events that prosecutors say included heavy drinking, reckless driving captured on video, and vehicle data showing extreme speeds before the crash.

According to Richards, the fatal collision occurred on Jan. 31, 2026, at around 6:07 a.m., when Smith was driving a 2017 Chevrolet Silverado northbound on Alexander Avenue in Saint James.

“Despite that red light, he continued straight through that red light at a high rate of speed and struck a 2019 Alfa Romeo operated by Nassau County Police Officer Patricia Espinosa,” Richards told the court.

Espinosa, 42, was the sole occupant of the Alfa Romeo. Prosecutors said the force of the crash overturned her vehicle.

“Patricia Espinosa’s vehicle was found upside down at the scene of this horrific crash,” Richards said. “It took emergency responders over 30 minutes to extricate her from that vehicle.”

Espinosa was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Richards told the court Espinosa left behind a husband, who is also a Nassau County police officer, and a two-year-old daughter.

Smith’s passenger, identified in court as John Andali, also suffered significant injuries in the crash. According to prosecutors, Andali sustained a head injury, pelvic fractures, and spinal fractures and was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital for treatment. Smith himself sustained injuries to his leg.

Investigators determined Smith and Andali had spent time in Patchogue earlier that morning before heading toward Jake’s 58 Casino Hotel in Islandia. According to prosecutors, Andali told police he met Smith at the James Joyce Bar and Restaurant, then later encountered him again at a nearby restaurant called Lindo Mexico.

Richards said this was where the two decided to drive to Jake’s 58 Casino Hotel together. Andali told investigators that Smith was behind the wheel of the Silverado and was driving erratically on the way to the casino.

The passenger described Smith’s driving as “driving crazy,” according to Richards, telling police Smith ran red lights and stop signs.

Richards said investigators recovered multiple pieces of video evidence documenting Smith’s movements before the crash.

Surveillance footage from the James Joyce Bar shows Smith drinking before leaving around 5:39 a.m.

"Suffolk County Police Department recovered video from the Patchogue area," Richards said. "Specific video footage shows the defendant drinking while inside the James Joyce bar. Before leaving the bar in Patchogue, the defendant was warned by multiple people not to drive. Despite the warnings, the defendant dangled his keys in front of multiple people's faces at the bar and drove anyway."

Video of Jake’s 58 Casino Hotel shows the Silverado entering the casino parking lot at around 5:47 a.m.

Additional footage from inside the casino shows Smith appearing unsteady on his feet as he walks through the establishment.

Video later shows Smith returning to the vehicle and leaving the casino around 5:49 a.m., Richards said.

Investigators also recovered videos from the passenger’s cellphone. According to Richards, the recordings show the driver — believed by investigators to be Smith — speeding, weaving through traffic, and using the HOV lane and highway shoulder to pass other vehicles.

Prosecutors said the videos also show the driver running red lights and yelling at other motorists.

Richards said investigators executed a search warrant on Smith’s pickup truck and downloaded information from the vehicle’s event data recorder, often referred to as the “black box.”

The data showed the truck was traveling 70 miles per hour approximately one second before the crash, Richards said. The speed limit on Alexander Avenue at that location is 30 miles per hour.

“The event data recorder shows that the accelerator pedal was pressed at 99 percent,” Richards said, adding that no braking occurred before impact.

Prosecutors also recovered data from the truck’s infotainment system, which records additional driving information.

According to Richards, the data revealed Smith reached 125 miles per hour on the Long Island Expressway earlier that morning.

The data also showed the truck reached 117 miles per hour on Route 347 around two minutes before the crash, Richards said.

“The defendant turned the roads of Suffolk County into his own personal raceway,” Richards said.

Investigators also obtained a search warrant for Smith’s blood after the crash.

A blood sample drawn at 6:48 a.m., roughly 40 minutes after the collision, showed Smith had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.20 percent, according to Richards.

Police also recovered several items from the Silverado pickup truck, prosecutors said. Those items included: a half-empty bottle of Bacardi rum, a shot glass, rolling papers, a vape device, and a stun gun.

Richards also referenced Smith’s prior record and driving history during the arraignment.

Prosecutors said Smith had a previous domestic incident involving his father in 2022 and had received multiple traffic tickets for violations, including speeding and improper use of the HOV lane.

Investigators also identified a public Instagram account they say belongs to Smith that contained videos showing reckless driving.

Smith's Defense Attorney, Anthony LaPinta, said the defense reserves Smith’s right to make a future bail application. Smith’s mother and father were present in court supporting him. Smith has pleaded not guilty.

Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney described the case as a stark example of the dangers of reckless and intoxicated driving.

“She was a wife, a sister, a daughter, and most importantly, a mother,” he said. “Very, very tragic outcome. This case obviously is about the defendant and about the victim in this case, Officer Espinosa, but it is also sobering not only here in Suffolk County, but across New York State, where individuals are repeatedly driving a car in a reckless manner.”

Tierney confirmed that investigators believe other patrons warned Smith about driving after drinking.

“The evidence is such that there's clear evidence of a persistent attitude on the part of this defendant that he was going to engage in reckless conduct,” Tierney said. “The allegation is that the other patrons of the bar said you should not be driving, and not only did he disregard that, but he sort of dangled the keys to let them know I’m not only driving.”

Nassau County Police Benevolent Association President Tommy Shevlin spoke alongside Espinosa’s family members, who described Espinosa as an extraordinary officer and person.

“She was an unbelievable human being,” he said. "This was not an accident. This was a total disregard for human life.”

Espinosa’s husband, two brothers, and sister attended the proceeding.

“Life will never be the same,” Shevlin said. "We will move on because we have to, but we will never forget Patty."

Smith is scheduled to return to court on April 20 as the case moves forward.