Long Island man pleads guilty to killing father, 3 kids in car crash while driving high
A Long Island man pleaded guilty Wednesday to killing a father and three children in a car crash last year while he was high on cocaine and fentanyl, authorities said.
Michael DeAngelo, 33, pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicular homicide, four counts of second-degree manslaughter and other charges, the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office said. He will be sentenced on June 28 to between seven and 21 years in prison.
“Michael DeAngelo is one of the most staggeringly reckless defendants I have ever known,” District Attorney Anne Donnelly said in a statement. “No sentence will ever be enough to ease the pain of this heartbroken family, their friends and their community.”
Patrice Huntley, 60, was driving a 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe on Sunrise Highway in East Massapequa on Aug. 6, 2023. Also in the car were five of his family members: his sons David, 14, and Jeremiah, 11; his daughter Hannah, 12; his stepdaughter Brienna Peoples, 18, and his 6-year-old step-granddaughter, Chantel Solomon.
The family was on their way to get ice cream to celebrate Huntley getting a new job. They were stopped at a red light when DeAngelo slammed into multiple vehicles that were also stopped at the light.
DeAngelo was high on cocaine and fentanyl while driving his 2023 Hyundai Kona, according to authorities. He was going 120 mph seconds before the crash and made impact at 95 mph.
The collision sent the Huntleys’ vehicle through the intersection and spun it around to face opposing traffic, police said. DeAngelo’s vehicle went airborne and landed upside down.
Patrice Huntley and Hannah Huntley died at the scene. Jeremiah Huntley was rushed to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Chantel Solomon fought for her life for multiple days before she succumbed to her injuries. David Huntley and Brienna Peoples survived the crash with serious injuries.
DeAngelo was also hospitalized, and cops eventually arrested and arraigned him in his hospital bed. Prior to the crash, he had twice before been arrested for driving while impaired by drugs. Three days before the wreck, he was arrested for cocaine possession and fled from officers, Donnelly said.
“How many more hearts must break before people learn that drugged driving destroys lives?” she said.
