Suffolk DA Indicts Riverhead Man in Nov. 29 DWI Crash Injuring Five

Erik Yat Velasquez, 22, of Riverhead, has been indicted in Suffolk County Court on charges including aggravated vehicular assault over a Nov. 29 crash on Quogue-Riverhead Road that injured five people and himself. The indictment was announced by Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney after investigators concluded Velasquez was intoxicated when the crash occurred.

Prosecutors say Velasquez was driving a 2015 Jeep northbound in the Riverside area at a high rate of speed when he crossed the double yellow lines, sideswiped one vehicle and then struck a second car head-on. Reports place the crash at about 7:45 to 7:46 p.m. on Nov. 29. Southampton Town Police officers at the scene determined Velasquez was intoxicated and arrested him; he was also hospitalized for injuries sustained in the collision.

Five other people were taken to hospitals. Aol and Dailyvoice reported that the two occupants of the vehicle hit head-on suffered serious injuries, including one driver with a fractured clavicle and a punctured lung, and a passenger with a fractured arm, internal bleeding, and a serious head injury that required multiple surgeries and resulted in loss of vision in one eye. The two occupants of the sideswiped vehicle and Velasquez’s passenger also received hospital treatment.

The indictment and arraignment details vary in reports. One outlet says Velasquez was arraigned on 15 counts, including three counts of aggravated vehicular assault. Other reports list 17 criminal counts, including aggravated vehicular assault, assault, and aggravated driving while intoxicated. The most serious charge carries potential prison exposure of five to 15 years if convicted, as reported by prosecutors. After his arraignment, County Court Judge Bryan L. Browns ordered Velasquez released under supervision and suspended his driver’s license. Velasquez is represented by attorney Anthony Rutkowski; the case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Emma Richards of the Vehicular Crime Bureau. Detective Brandon Dubrow of the Southampton Town Police Department, alongside New York State Police members, led the investigation. Velasquez is due back in court on March 3.

District Attorney Tierney stressed the public safety stakes in prosecuting impaired driving, stating that “impaired or intoxicated driving is not tolerated on local roadways.” For Riverside and Riverhead residents, the indictment underlines the real consequences of high-speed, impaired driving on local routes such as Quogue-Riverhead Road, a stretch where families, commuters and school routes intersect.

The case will move through Suffolk County Court in the coming weeks; residents concerned about traffic safety should follow court updates and local police advisories as investigators and prosecutors prepare for trial and potential sentencing.