A Brooklyn man has been sentenced to two years in jail after seriously injuring a bystander while performing illegal amateur car stunts in Patchogue.
Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced that Matthew Mitchell, 20, of Brooklyn, was sentenced on January 22, 2025, after pleading guilty in December to Assault in the Second Degree and related charges stemming from an October 2024 incident.
According to prosecutors, on October 6, 2024, at approximately 1:15 a.m., a large group gathered at the Gateway Plaza in Patchogue for an illegal street takeover where drivers performed dangerous stunts such as drifting and “doughnuts.” During the event, Mitchell struck a 19-year-old woman who was standing in the parking lot observing the activity. The victim suffered a fractured pelvis and femur and was transported to a local hospital for treatment.
Authorities said Mitchell fled the scene before police arrived. He was arrested on October 15, 2024, by Suffolk County Police detectives with assistance from the New York City Police Department. Investigators later determined that Mitchell’s driver’s license had been revoked and suspended six times at the time of the crash.
Mitchell pleaded guilty to Assault in the Second Degree, Leaving the Scene of an Incident Without Reporting, Reckless Endangerment in the Second Degree, Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle in the Second Degree, and Reckless Driving. He was sentenced by Acting Supreme Court Justice Steven A. Pilewski.
“This two-year jail sentence sends a clear message that illegal street takeovers are dangerous and will not be tolerated,” Tierney said, noting that such events endanger lives and disrupt communities.
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.
A criminal conviction follows a guilty plea.
Photo: SCDA.
