A Bay Shore man and his father pleaded guilty Thursday in connection with a drunken driving crash on Sunrise Highway in Massapequa that killed a 48-year-old man and seriously injured his wife.
Brian August, 20, pleaded guilty July 9 to aggravated vehicular homicide, second-degree manslaughter, second-degree assault and aggravated driving while intoxicated per se, according to Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly.
August was 19 when prosecutors said he drank multiple shots of vodka inside a Bentley before causing the April 19, 2025, crash. His father, Brian Kitchen, served him some of the liquor inside the vehicle, the district attorney’s office said.
Kitchen, 43, pleaded guilty to first-degree reckless endangerment.
August was driving a 2023 Bentley east on Sunrise Highway at about 9:03 p.m. when he stopped in the left-turn lane at Unqua Road, prosecutors said.
He then abruptly turned right across the eastbound lanes and struck a Polaris Slingshot driven by Willie Singleton. Singleton’s wife was riding in the passenger seat.
Singleton was thrown from the Polaris and into another vehicle that was stopped at the traffic light. He was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at approximately 9:46 p.m.
His wife suffered significant injuries to her hips and legs that required emergency surgery. A rod was implanted in her leg, and she frequently needs a wheelchair or walker, prosecutors said.
A blood sample taken from August approximately four hours after the crash showed a blood alcohol content of 0.20%, according to the district attorney’s office.
Investigators recovered a bottle of vodka and numerous empty 50-milliliter vodka bottles from the Bentley.
Donnelly said August was responsible for choosing to drive drunk but that Kitchen also failed his son and the Singleton family by serving alcohol to his underage son inside the vehicle.
August pleaded guilty to a Class B felony, a Class C felony, a Class D violent felony and an unclassified misdemeanor. He is expected to receive a sentence of 4 1/2 to 12 years in prison. Prosecutors recommended a sentence of seven to 15 years.
Kitchen’s reckless endangerment charge is a Class D felony. He is expected to receive one year of incarceration.
Both men are scheduled to return to court for sentencing on Sept. 24.
August was arrested the night of the crash by Nassau County police. Kitchen was arrested on Oct. 22, 2025.
