A Lindenhurst man pleaded guilty to manslaughter after driving 121 mph on the Southern State Parkway and crashing into another vehicle, killing a West Babylon man and injuring four other people, Suffolk County prosecutors said.
Felix Pantaleon, 24, pleaded guilty Friday, Sept. 4, to second-degree manslaughter and other charges in connection with the Sept. 22, 2024, crash that killed 49-year-old Reynaldo Collado.
According to court documents and Pantaleon’s admissions during his guilty plea, he was driving a 2014 Honda Civic westbound on the Southern State Parkway in North Babylon at about 10:30 p.m.
Data recovered from the Civic showed Pantaleon was traveling about 121 mph, prosecutors said. He cut off other vehicles and weaved between lanes before striking the rear of a 2009 Honda CR-V driven by Collado.
The impact sent both vehicles off the roadway. Collado’s CR-V crashed into woods along the right shoulder, while Pantaleon’s Civic struck the median barrier before also going into the woods.
Collado was pronounced dead at the scene.
A passenger in the CR-V suffered serious injuries, including fractures to the vertebrae and pelvis, and required treatment at a rehabilitation facility. Three other occupants were injured and received medical treatment at local hospitals.
Prosecutors said Pantaleon used his cellphone before the crash to record himself driving in the manner that led to the collision.
“This defendant’s egregious actions killed another innocent driver,” Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney said. “Vehicles become lethal weapons in the hands of those who treat them like toys.”
Pantaleon pleaded guilty before Acting Supreme Court Justice Steven A. Pilewski to second-degree manslaughter, second-degree assault, three counts of third-degree assault and reckless driving.
He is scheduled to return to court Oct. 23 and is expected to be sentenced to four to 12 years in prison.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Jeffrey Rosenheck of the Vehicular Crime Bureau. The investigation was conducted by Investigator Kevin Doyle of the New York State Police.
Photo: SCDA.
