Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice announced that a Baldwin man has been arraigned today on grand jury charges in connection with a fatal hit-and-run in Port Washington earlier this year.
Cosmin Florea, 34, was arraigned today before Nassau County Court Judge Helene Gugerty on the following charges:
Vehicular Manslaughter in the 2nd Degree (a D felony)
Leaving the Scene of an Accident Without Reporting (a D felony)
Two counts of Driving While Intoxicated (an unclassified misdemeanor)
Driving While Ability Impaired-Drugs (an unclassified misdemeanor)
Florea faces up to 2-1/3 to seven years in prison if convicted of the top counts. He is due back in court on Nov. 20.
“This defendant not only struck and killed an innocent pedestrian while drunk and high on drugs, he left him where he lay without even stopping his vehicle,” DA Rice said. “The tragic death of Donald Mooney is yet another example of how legislation increasing penalties for leaving the scene of a fatal crash is needed in order to help keep the public safe from drunk and drugged drivers.”
DA Rice said that on Aug. 15 at 11:57 p.m., Florea was driving a 2010 Ford Fusion when he struck Donald Mooney, 49, of Lynbrook, who was walking across Main Street west of South Bayles Avenue in Port Washington.
Florea left the scene and was later stopped in Queens by the New York Police Department, who observed damage to the vehicle’s windshield. Alcohol and marijuana were found to be in his system at the time of the crash. Florea was arrested by the Port Washington Police Department and processed by the Nassau County Police Department.
Mooney was transported to North Shore University Hospital, where he died from his injuries.
Assistant District Attorney Michael Bushwack of DA Rice’s Vehicular Crimes Bureau is prosecuting the case. Florea is represented by Michael DerGarabedian.
The charges are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless found guilty.