Driver In Deadly LI Crash Was Speeding, Unlicensed

More details have emerged about the crash on Pine Hollow Road in Oyster Bay that left three people in two cars dead on Sunday. Israel Maldonado (pictured) was speeding in a Nissan Altima, with his cousin Jose Suazo as passenger, when he passed a patrol car, which then followed it. The Daily News reports, "Nassau Detective Lt. Kevin Smith said Maldonado, who was not licensed to drive in New York, was clocked at 76 mph - 21 miles over the speed limit. 'We have witnesses who were between the police officer and the car,' Smith added, 'who said this car was absolutely flying.'"

Maldonado allegedly went even faster and then crashed into a Jeep Cherokee driven by Peter Sherlock; the Post says Maldonado "couldn't negotiate a curve in the roadway and had veered into oncoming traffic in the southbound lane when his car collided with Sherlock's."

All three men died. Maldonado, 23, moved into his brother's home in Oyster Bay four or five years ago from Honduras, Newsday reports. He was a landscaper and sent money back home to his parents. Newsday also called the East Norwich home of Sherlock, 38, where a woman said, "You should say what a wonderful husband and father and friend he was to everybody." Sherlock, who was married and had two young children, was a stock broker when he "pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud Morgan Stanley of more than $4 million" in 2008.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on June 1, 2010 6:28 PM

Comments [rss]

nypaul

Honestly, how stupid is it when people say that you are racist for assuming this fellow was an illegal immigrant? Look at the evidence-

Was he born here?- no

Did he arrive here recently? yes, less than 5 years ago

Did he have legal license to drive? no

Did he go to extraordinary lengths to avoid a speeding ticket? yes

OK - chances are someone who has recently come to the US, who goes to great lengths to avoid the law and does not have a simple drivers license is an illegal immigrant. Oh and by the way, the majority of illegal immigrants on Long Island are of hispanic origin. So, it is not racist to assume the man was an illegal immigrant. Rather, it is simple deductive reasoning.

Either way, he committed vehicular manslaughter while trying to evade a simple police stop.

It's amazing how quickly Newsday tired of this story. They had such an appetite for the Lucero case.

KaosDG

Why did they feel the need to mention that the jeep driver had a guilty plea in an unrelated incident?

ProcedureTurn

the Gothamist "writers" are not exactly professional journalists. They have little skill when it comes to writing an article so they need to include details such as his plea, to make it sound more interesting /alluring to read.

r1b2

Pity this was an opportunity to revisit Sherlock's past sins. He was an innocent victim in thsi crash, but his reputation takes another hit.

Clarice City

Really. Sherlock was a vitim with two little kids and a wife to consider in this tragedy. Doesn't erase his misdeeds, but he sure as hell didn't kill anyone.

r1b2

Pity this was an opportunity to revisit Sherlock's past sins. He was an innocent victim in thsi crash, but his reputation takes another hit.

Cranky Old Man

So, can someone please explain to me what the difference is between an escaped prisoner, or an ex con who might do something violent and extremely dangerous in order to avoid being arrested and sent back to prison, and an illegal alien driving around in an unlicensed and uninsured vehicle?

lexicondevil

The real question is why the police would engage the car in a 100 mph high-speed chase.

jt10000

I think the police are saying the bad driver went 100mph to get away from them. Good question about chases though - they seem to escalate situations, making them more dangerous. But perhaps we only hear about the chases that end with accidents?

jza1218

So no big losses at all in this accident...

John Clavis

Once again, Israel acts irresponsibly and people needlessly die.

Avaz383

fuck off, racist ignorant slime.

ItchyGoiter

Way to report, gothamist. You fail to mention who died.

mellow_fellow

Lighten up, Francis. It's reasonable to assume that the three people named in the story (other than the detective who is quoted) are the ones who died.

ItchyGoiter

Why is it reasonable? Many times, the asshole driver walks away with just cuts and bruises.

mellow_fellow

It's reasonable because no one else is mentioned in the story.

xgeyiph772

Starting to think Arizona has the right idea. Unless of course this perfect gentleman was a documented worker, something the article fails to mention in any way. Why is that?

El Izzy

What a ridiculous question. So now anyone in a news story who has a Spanish name has to be tagged legal or illegal?

You're just looking for a reason to hate. Racism.

Clarice City

Because people trying to run from the cops, with no licence, under the table employment, sending money "back home" and living in a relative's house have NEVER been known to be illegal. Sure.

If you value your ethnic community so much why do you defend shitheads like this guy? Pretty sure that the people you're calling "racist" (so easy to just throw that one around isn't it?) and "cracker" (a racial slur!) have no interest in protecting the lazy criminal underbelly of their ethnic groups.

Get over yourself. You're as ethnocentic and bigoted as the rest of them.

jt10000

No, Arizona has the wrong idea in terms of highway safety. Related government services about safety - such as provision of drivers licenses - to immigration status REDUCES safety by making it less likely that illegal immigrants will drive safety.

It's like crime - if illegal immigrants are more afraid to report crime, do you think the streets will be safer or more dangerous?

But racist crackers don't like to think logically - just pour on the effort to screw pour people with dark skin.