(SUFFOLK COUNTY, N.Y.) – Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney today announced that Jason Jean-Joseph, 24, of West Babylon, was indicted for Manslaughter in the Second Degree, and several related charges, for allegedly driving at a high rate of speed in an attempt to evade a police stop that ultimately resulted in a crash that killed Hillel Fuld, 29, of Wyandanch, as Fuld was walking along Wyandanch Avenue in Wyandanch.
“The victim’s life was tragically cut short because of the defendant’s alleged reckless and brazen behavior,” said District Attorney Tierney. “It should have never happened. Pedestrians in Suffolk County deserve to feel safe when walking our streets.”
According to the investigation, on June 13, 2025, at around 7:30 p.m., a Suffolk County Police officer attempted to initiate a traffic stop of Jean-Joseph’s 2018 BMW 5 Series sedan. Jean-Joseph, whose driver’s license was allegedly suspended, allegedly saw the marked unit’s lights activate and accelerated away from the police vehicle. As he turned onto Wyandanch Avenue, Jean-Joseph allegedly accelerated in an eastbound direction where he struck Fuld with his vehicle. The victim would later be pronounced deceased at Good Samaritan Hospital.
Following the crash, Jean-Joseph allegedly fled from the scene without pulling over to check on Fuld’s well-being and drove to a location in Babylon where he left the vehicle off the shoulder of the roadway. Jean-Joseph also allegedly discarded a loaded 9-millimeter pistol containing a high-capacity magazine in the wooded area south of John Street.
On August 29, 2025, the defendant was arrested following an investigation conducted by the Suffolk County Police Department’s Major Case Unit.
On September 11, 2025, Jean-Joseph was arraigned on the indictment before Acting Supreme Court Justice Karen M. Wilutis for the following charges:
- One count of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, a Class C violent felony;
- One count of Manslaughter in the Second Degree, a Class C felony;
- One count of Assault in the Second Degree, a Class D violent felony;
- Three counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree, Class D felonies;
- One count of Leaving the Scene of an Incident Without Reporting, a Class D felony;
- One count of Unlawful Fleeing a Police Officer in the First Degree, a Class D felony;
- One count of Tampering with Physical Evidence, a Class E felony;
- One count of Reckless Endangerment in the Second Degree, a Class A misdemeanor;
- One count of Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle in the Third Degree, an unclassified misdemeanor; and
- One Count of Reckless Driving, an unclassified misdemeanor.
Justice Wilutis ordered Jean-Joseph held on $500,000 cash, $2,500,000 bond or $5,000,000 partially secured bond, and suspended his driving privileges during the pendency of the case. Jean-Joseph is due back in court on September 24, 2025, and faces 15 years in prison if convicted on the top count. He is being represented by Keith O’Halloran, Esq.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Alexander Bopp of the Vehicular Crime Bureau, and the investigation was conducted by Detective Richard Hennes of the Suffolk County Police Department’s Major Case Unit.