Lindenhurst Man Gets 4-12 Years For 121 MPH Fatal Southern State Crash: DA

LINDENHURST, NY — A Lindenhurst man was sentenced Friday to four to 12 years in prison for causing a 121 mph Southern State Parkway crash that killed a West Babylon man and injured four others, prosecutors said.

Felix Pantaleon, 24, was sentenced in connection with the Sept. 22, 2024 crash that killed Reynaldo Collado, 49, according to Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney.

Pantaleon's driver's license was also ordered revoked.

According to court documents and Pantaleon's admissions during his guilty plea, Pantaleon was driving a 2014 Honda Civic westbound on the Southern State Parkway in North Babylon at about 10:30 p.m.

The vehicle's event data recorder showed Pantaleon was traveling at about 121 mph, prosecutors said.

Pantaleon cut off vehicles and weaved between lanes before crashing into the rear of a 2009 Honda CR-V driven by Collado, according to the DA's office.

The impact caused both vehicles to leave the roadway and crash into wooded areas along the highway, prosecutors said. Collado was pronounced dead at the scene.

One passenger in Collado's vehicle suffered serious injuries, including a fractured vertebra and pelvis, while three other occupants were treated at local hospitals for various injuries, prosecutors said.

Investigators determined Pantaleon had used his cellphone to record himself driving recklessly shortly before the crash, according to the DA's office.

Pantaleon pleaded guilty Sept. 4 before Supreme Court Justice Steven Pilewski to second-degree manslaughter, second-degree assault, three counts of third-degree assault and reckless driving.

He was sentenced Oct. 23 to four to 12 years in prison.

Pantaleon was represented by attorney Vincent Bianco who was not immediately available for a request for comment.

“Driving at 121 mph is not a mistake. It is a deliberate choice,” Tierney said. “This defendant made that choice, which resulted in the tragic death of 49-year-old Reynaldo Collado and injuries to four others. Today, he is being held accountable for that deadly decision.”