Driver Pleads Guilty In 4-Vehicle DWI Crash That Left 1 Woman Dead On North Fork: DA

CUTCHOGUE, NY — A driver pleaded guilty Wednesday to aggravated vehicular homicide and driving while intoxicated after a head-on, four-car crash in 2022 that left a Massapequa woman dead in Cutchogue, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said.

According to the DA, Adam Chrzanowski, 45, a Polish national, had a blood alcohol content of more than three times the legal limit at the time of the crash.

The crash killed 60-year-old Elizabeth Post, who was a passenger in one of the vehicles, the DA said.

According to court documents and Chrzanowski's admissions during his guilty plea allocution, on March 6, 2022, at about 6:04 p.m., Chrzanowski was driving a 2021 Toyota RAV4
eastbound on Route 25 in Cutchogue. He crossed over the double yellow lines to bypass a car driving in front of him and saw a 2019 Nissan Rogue coming towards him in the opposite
lane of traffic, Tierney said.

When Chrzanowski swerved back into his lane, he struck the car ahead of him and caused a chain-reaction collision with the next vehicle, the DA said.

He then swerved again, crashing head-on with the Nissan Rogue, in which Elizabeth Post was the front passenger, the DA said. The two other vehicles spun out of control due to the collision, Tierney said.

Chrzanowski was arrested and refused to submit to a chemical breath test upon request by police, the DA said. He was transported to a local hospital, where a sample of his blood was ultimately taken, revealing a concentration of 0.28 percent — more than three times the legal limit, Tierney said.

The driver of the Nissan Rogue suffered multiple fractures to his spine, clavicle, sternum, ribs and leg, Tierney said.

Elizabeth Post required several surgeries for severe internal injuries and fractures; she passed away from her injuries six months later, on September 12, 2022, the DA said.

Chrzanowski, legally in the U.S. at the time, fled the country in March 2024 after he was indicted; he was extradited to Suffolk County in March 2026, the DA said.

On March 10, 2024, while the case was pending, Chrzanowski boarded a plane from JFK Airport and flew to his native country of Poland, Tierney said.

After failing to appear in court on the pending indictment, a bench warrant was issued for his arrest, the DA said.

Chrzanowski was ultimately returned to the United States
with the assistance of federal and Polish authorities, Tierney said.

On Wednesday, Chrzanowski pleaded guilty before County Court Judge Bryan Browns to charge including three counts of aggravated vehicular homicide, Class B felonies; one count of second-degree manslaughter, a Class C felony; two counts of second-degree assault, Class D violent felonies; one count of aggravated driving while intoxicated, a Class E felony; and one count of reckless driving, an unclassified misdemeanor, the DA said.

Chrzanowski is due back in court on December 16, and is expected to be sentenced to five to 15 years in prison, Tierney said.

Chrzanowski is being represented by Christopher Gioe, who was not immediately available for comment.

"Today, this defendant admitted guilt in causing the death of Elizabeth Post and then fleeing to Poland in an attempt to evade justice," said Tierney. "Thanks to our strong partnership with our federal and international law enforcement partners, the defendant was located, extradited and held accountable. This was a tragic and preventable loss of life caused by reckless, impaired driving. Our thoughts are with the victims during this difficult time."