Amandeep Singh of Roslyn indicted in wrong-way crash that killed Drew Hassenbein and Ethan Falkowitz
Amandeep Singh of Roslyn leaves Nassau Police Headquarters in Mineola on May 4. Credit: Howard Schnapp
A Nassau County grand jury has indicted the alleged wrong-way drunken driver charged with killing two Roslyn teens and injuring two others in a May 3 crash in Jericho, court records show.
Amandeep Singh, 34, who was already facing two counts of aggravated vehicular homicide and manslaughter charges for the deaths of Drew Hassenbein and Ethan Falkowitz, will be arraigned on the 15-count indictment June 26.
New charges include operating a motor vehicle while impaired by drugs and reckless driving, as well additional manslaughter and assault charges, according to court records.
The indictment was handed down days after Singh, of Roslyn, was denied bail by a Brooklyn appeals court.
Prosecutors have alleged Singh was driving a 2019 Dodge Ram pickup south in the northbound lanes of North Broadway while drunk and high on cocaine when he swerved around cars and crashed at 95 mph into the 2019 Alfa Romeo four-door sedan occupied by the four teens.
Police said Singh’s pickup truck went airborne, spinning and landing 300 feet away. Singh was arrested in a neighboring shopping center a short time later after attempting to flee the scene, police said.
Toxicology reports taken four hours after the crash found Singh had a 0.15 blood alcohol level — nearly double the legal limit — along with cocaine in his system, Nassau County Assistant District Attorney Michael Bushwack, chief of the Vehicular Crimes Bureau, said at his appeals hearing June 2. An empty bottle of tequila was found behind Singh's driver's seat, Bushwack said.
Prosecutors have also said they've obtained receipts and security cameras that showed Singh was drinking at two bars before the crash, along with surveillance video from the scene of the accident.
Singh has been held without bail since his initial arraignment May 4, with district court Judge Joseph Nocella stating his prior criminal history, which includes a youthful offender conviction for driving while intoxicated and for gang assault, makes him a flight risk, along with the strength of the case against him.
At the June 2 appeals hearing, Singh’s attorney, James Kousouros, suggested $1 million bail and home confinement with GPS monitoring would be more appropriate.
Kousouros said he hasn't reviewed the indictment and can't comment on the specific charges at this time.
Mr. Singh will be entering a plea of not guilty at his arraignment," the lawyer said. "We will continue our investigation and consider reargument in the issue of bail at a later date.”
Drew Hassenbein and Ethan Falkowitz. Credit: Andy Siegel/Tyler Hill Camp
The case has received extensive attention, with friends and neighbors of the teens flooding the courtroom for each appearance for Singh, who has also received support from friends and family.
The teens had been celebrating a Roslyn varsity tennis victory with teammates at a local restaurant before the crash. Despite being only 14 years old, Hassenbein and Falkowitz were among the top players on their varsity team, having already played at elite levels of youth tennis.
Grant Parpan covers Suffolk County courts and federal courts for Newsday. A Long Island native, he joined Newsday in 2022.
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