Josef McLorrain, of Brooklyn, faces upgraded charges in crash that injured 2 BOCES employees in June, Suffolk DA says

A Brooklyn man pleaded not guilty to upgraded charges, including two counts of attempted murder, for the alleged hit-and-run crash that seriously injured two Eastern Suffolk BOCES employees in the parking lot of the Bellport campus in June, prosecutors said.

Josef McLorrain, 22, of Miller Avenue, was also charged with two counts of first-degree attempted assault and two counts of second-degree attempted assault in a grand jury indictment unveiled before State Supreme Court Justice Richard Ambro in criminal court in Riverhead Wednesday.

"The indictment alleges that the defendant drove toward a group of BOCES employees in a parking lot and struck two individuals with his vehicle," Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said in a statement. "The large size, speed, and mass of vehicles make them capable of causing significant injury or death to pedestrians, even with minimal contact. Vehicular violence will not be tolerated in Suffolk County."

Defense attorney Christopher Cassar, of Huntington, could not be immediately reached for comment.

Prosecutors said McLorrain accelerated his Mazda Tribute at 8:36 a.m. on June 24 and drove toward a group of five employees who were walking in the parking lot at the Bellport Academic Center on Martha Avenue, striking two of them. The victims were propelled onto the vehicle and then thrown to the ground before McLorrain fled the scene, prosecutors said.

The two injured employees, who are both aides at the facility, Jawan Harrison, 31, of Coram, and Natalie Williams, 41, of Ronkonkoma, were taken to Long Island Community Hospital in East Patchogue for treatment of undisclosed injuries, police and prosecutors said.

Police said at the time that they were investigating the intent of the crash and could not say whether it was accidental or targeted.

The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office did not provide a motive in a news release Wednesday.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Maria Troulakis of the Major Crime Bureau and investigated by Fifth Squad Det. Michael Richardsen of the Suffolk County Police Department.

Ambro ordered McLorrain held on $100,000 cash, $250,000 bond, or $500,000 partially secured bond. He is due back in court Sept. 11.

By Grant Parpan

grant.parpan@newsday.com@GrantParpan

Grant Parpan covers Suffolk County courts and federal courts for Newsday. A Long Island native, he joined Newsday in 2022.