A Brooklyn man has been sentenced to two years in jail after an illegal amateur car stunt in Patchogue left a 19-year-old woman seriously injured, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office.
District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced that Matthew Mitchell, 20, of Brooklyn, was sentenced on January 22 after pleading guilty to multiple felony and misdemeanor charges stemming from the October 2024 incident.
According to court records and Mitchell’s admissions during his guilty plea, the crash occurred around 1:15 a.m. on October 6, 2024, when a large crowd gathered at Gateway Plaza to participate in and watch illegal car stunts, including drifting and “doughnuts.” While attempting a maneuver, Mitchell struck a bystander with the side of his vehicle.
The victim was transported to a local hospital and treated for a fractured pelvis and femur. Mitchell fled the scene before police arrived.
Investigators later determined that Mitchell’s driver’s license had been revoked at the time of the crash and had been suspended six times on separate occasions. He was arrested on October 15, 2024, following a joint investigation involving Suffolk County Police and the New York City Police Department.
In December, Mitchell pleaded guilty before Acting Supreme Court Justice Steven A. Pilewski to Assault in the Second Degree, a Class D violent felony, along with additional charges including leaving the scene of an incident, reckless endangerment, aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, and reckless driving.
Justice Pilewski sentenced Mitchell to two years in jail.
“We will not tolerate illegal street takeovers in Suffolk County,” Tierney said in a statement. “These events endanger lives, terrorize neighborhoods, and degrade the quality of life in our communities. This sentence sends a clear message that reckless behavior behind the wheel will have serious consequences.”
The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Ray Varuolo of the Vehicular Crime Bureau and investigated by Detective John McAleavey of the Suffolk County Police Department’s Fifth Squad.
