(SUFFOLK COUNTY, N.Y.) – Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney today announced that Joseph Kalinowski, 54, of Centereach, was indicted for Aggravated Vehicular Assault and other related charges, for allegedly driving while intoxicated, entering a clearly marked road closure, and crashing into a New York State Department of Transportation (DOT) employee who was assisting Suffolk County Police with debris cleanup on the Long Island Expressway.
“The defendant allegedly chose to drink, chose to get behind the wheel, and then drove through a clearly marked road closure,” said District Attorney Tierney. “My office will continue to hold drivers accountable when they put the public at risk.”
According to the investigation, on February 26, 2026, at approximately 10:30 p.m., Kalinowski was allegedly driving his Toyota Camry from Jericho to his home in Centereach after having consumed alcohol. When Kalinowski was driving eastbound on the Long Island Expressway, he allegedly disregarded a road closure marked by emergency vehicles and traffic control devices and crashed into a DOT employee who was attempting to remove debris from the roadway.
The victim was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital where they were treated for serious injuries including a traumatic brain injury and fractured arm.
On April 22, 2026, Kalinowski was arraigned on the indictment before County Court Judge Bryan L. Browns, for the following charges:
- One count of Aggravated Vehicular Assault, a Class C felony;
- One count of Assault in the Second Degree, a Class D violent felony;
- One count of Vehicular Assault in the First Degree, a Class D felony;
- One count of Vehicular Assault in the Second Degree, a Class E felony;
- One count of Aggravated Driving While Intoxicated, an unclassified misdemeanor;
- Two counts of Driving While Intoxicated, unclassified misdemeanors;
- One count of Reckless Endangerment in the Second Degree, a Class A misdemeanor; and
- One count of Reckless Driving, an unclassified misdemeanor.
Judge Browns ordered Kalinowski placed on supervised release during the pendency of the case. Kalinowski is due back in court on June 3, 2026, and faces up to five to 15 years in prison if convicted of the top count. He is being represented by Harmon Lutzer, Esq.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Alexander Bopp of the Vehicular Crime Bureau, and the investigation was conducted by Detective Travis Pfeffer of the Suffolk County Police Department’s Sixth Squad.