July 17, 2013 - Central Islip, NY - The driver of a pickup truck who ran a red light and broadsided a car, killing a 71 year old East Patchogue woman in April, will be arraigned on an indictment today, Wednesday, July 17, in Central Islip, Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota has announced.
The truck driver, Justin Klein, 23, of Medford, employed by a lumber company, was charged by Suffolk County police with driving while ability impaired by drugs and seventh degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.
District Attorney Spota said Klein possessed heroin at the time of his arrest.
The victim, Camille Ricciardo, was pronounced dead at the scene by a physician assistant from the Office of the Suffolk County Medical Examiner.
“The investigation by our Vehicular Crimes Bureau established the facts of this crime and the evidence was consequently presented to a grand jury resulting in an indictment of the truck driver”, District Attorney Spota said.
Klein was driving south on Sills Road when he blew the light at Gazzola Drive and crashed into the victim’s sedan.
Klein, 23, was treated at Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center for non-life-threatening injuries.
State Supreme Court Justice Fernando Camacho will unseal the indictment. Klein is incarcerated in the Suffolk County Jail in lieu of $75,000 cash bail.
The court calendar will be called this morning at 9:30.