Defendant in Sunrise Highway wrong-way crash that killed Aquebogue man indicted on ‘depraved indifference’ murder charge

The driver of a vehicle in the head-on collision on Sunrise highway that killed a 57-year-old Aquebogue man Dec. 23 has been charged with second degree murder and other crimes under an indictment unsealed today in Suffolk County First District Court.

Christopher O’Brien, 54, of Port Jefferson Station, pleaded not guilty to all charges, Suffolk District Attorney Thomas Spota said.

O’Brien was driving the wrong way – eastbound in the westbound lanes of Sunrise Highway – early on the morning of December 23 when he struck a Toyota Corolla head-on, killing its driver, Thomas D’Eletto.

His blood, drawn approximately two hours after the crash, had a blood-alcohol content of .17 and also showed the presence of cocaine, Spota said.

“Another motorist saw O’Brien approximately 20 minutes prior to the fatal crash when the defendant drove into oncoming traffic three times while driving north of the Long Island Expressway,” Spota said. “Then on Sunrise Highway, several drivers reported to police they had to go onto the median or the shoulder of the road to avoid a collision with O’Brien.”

In addition to second degree murder “by depraved indifference,” the grand jury indicted O’Brien on charges of: aggravated vehicular homicide, manslaughter in the second degree, vehicular manslaughter in the second degree, reckless endangerment in the first degree, aggravated driving while intoxicated, driving while intoxicated, driving while ability impaired by a drug, driving while ability impaired by the combined influence of alcohol and a drug and reckless driving.

He was arraigned today before Justice Fernando Camacho and remanded to the Suffolk County jail. He is next due in court on April 4.

<strong>Editor’s note: A criminal charge is an accusation. By law, a person charged with a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.</strong>