Update
Cops: Flanders landscaper dies of injuries after hit by driver high on drugs

(Updated: 5:25 p.m.) Suffolk County Police announced late this afternoon that  Anibal Aceituno-Perez, 52, of Flanders, succumbed to his injuries today.

(Original story) Wading River woman told police that she had “sniffed a bag of dope” several hours before she drove impaired and struck a Flanders man on a lawnmower yesterday, according to prosecutors.

Anibal Aceituno-Perez, 52, of Flanders, was struck yesterday morning while riding a lawnmower in a Ridge yard. Brianna Hassett, 24, was driving a 2005 Cadillac eastbound on Route 25, west of Pleasant View Road when she struck Aceituno-Perez on the corner of Route 25 and Pleasant View Road at approximately 11:50 a.m., police said.

Hassett showed ‘mental and physical impairment’ during field sobriety tests, police said, and made statements to police about taking narcotics.

“I sniffed a line of coke last night, I snorted a half a bag of dope and shot up the other half,” police said Hassett told them. “[Defendant] further stated she took Xanax at 10 p.m. last night and in the morning took another half a line of coke and sniffed a bag of dope at 3 a.m.,” according to investigators’ notes released by the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office.

Aceituno-Perez was taken to Peconic Bay Medical Center before being airlifted to Stony Brook University Hospital, where he remains in critical condition.

Hassett was charged with driving while ability impaired by drugs. She’s currently being held in lieu of $50,000 cash bail or $100,000 bond. Her case has been adjourned to Sept. 19.

Detectives are asking anyone with information about this crash to contact the Major Case Unit at 631-852-6555. The investigation is continuing.

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.