Suffolk DA: Indictment Charges Southampton Man With Manslaughter For Fatal Crash

LongIsland.com

Jacob Alegria, 27, stands accused of reckless driving in February that claimed the life of a German au pair.

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Jacob Alegria of Southampton, 27, has been indicted for causing a fatal crash in Southampton Village in February.

Photo by: Suffolk County Police Department

Southampton, NY - April 12, 2017 - A 27 year old Southampton man has been indicted for recklessly causing a fatal crash in Southampton Village in February that claimed the life of a German au pair, Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota said.
 
The defendant Jacob Alegria pleaded not guilty to charges of manslaughter in the second degree, assault in the first degree, reckless endangerment in the second degree and reckless driving. Alegria’s indictment was unsealed this morning by State Supreme Court Justice Fernando Camacho who set bail at $100,000 cash or $200,000 bond.
 
“The black box in the Lexus the defendant was driving shows he hit the SUV in the oncoming lane traveling at a speed of 78.3 miles per hour – in a 25 mile per hour zone on Hill Street; more than three times the posted speed limit,” D.A. Spota said.  
 
The impact of the collision sent the victim’s SUV into a tree. The passenger in the vehicle, Charlotte Meyer, 20, who days earlier arrived in the US to work as an au pair, died of her injuries. The driver, Luisa S. Keszler, 26, of Southampton, is recovering from serious injuries.
 
Multiple witnesses, District Attorney Spota said, indicated the defendant had previously executed a similar maneuver - crossing the double yellow lines into oncoming traffic - to pass slower vehicles just prior to the head-on collision.
 
The SCDA Vehicular Crimes Bureau and the New York State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit with the assistance of the Southampton Village Police conducted the field investigation at the crash scene which closed the area to traffic for approximately seven hours.
 
A criminal charge is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.