Bellport man sentenced to 8 years in prison for crash that killed 3

Two families grieved in the same Suffolk courtroom Thursday as a judge sentenced a 19-year-old man to eight years in prison for causing a Middle Island crash that killed a couple who had just marked their 50th wedding anniversary — along with his own brother.

Defendant Nahriek Belford stood before acting State Supreme Court Justice Fernando Camacho, the family of crash victims Jerome and Randee Weingarten, and his own relatives, and apologized after they spoke about their pain.

"I’m sorry from the bottom of my heart," Belford said, quoting from the Bible and promising to better himself.

"I pray for all of you every day," he added.

The Bellport man also spoke of the love he had for his late 19-year-old brother, Angelo Belford, who died on top of him in the 2019 wreckage. He then apologized to their father for his disobedience and public shame.

The Belford brothers’ father also addressed the Weingarten family in a plea for forgiveness.

"I really want you all to understand I'm really, really sorry and hope you all forgive my son," Alphonso Belford said while crying.

He also described his own family’s suffering after a crash that resulted in one son's death and another son's incarceration.

In February, the defendant pleaded guilty to manslaughter, felony assault and unlawfully fleeing police.

The crash on Feb. 9, 2019, happened after authorities said Belford, then 17, fled from police in a stolen sport utility vehicle. Law enforcement officials said a Suffolk police officer tried to pull over Belford, who was driving a Nissan Rogue, after seeing him go through a stop sign in Yaphank.

But prosecutors said the teenage motorist sped away, going through red lights, crossing into oncoming traffic and reaching more than 100 mph before the deadly wreck minutes later on Route 25 in Middle Island.

At about 11:50 p.m., the Nissan hit a Honda CRV whose driver was trying to turn left onto Birchwood Park Drive. Authorities said the impact split the Honda in half and killed Jerome Weingarten, 74, and Randee Weingarten, 71.

The parents of three and grandparents of six had been returning to their nearby home after a dinner out and died "a few seconds and a few feet from safety," one of their daughters said Thursday.

The couple’s children and one of their grandchildren spoke at the sentencing, remembering Randee as someone whose laughter filled a room and Jerome as someone who gave the best advice.

"I hope you learn and make amends while you can. Life goes fast," Bryant Weingarten, the couple’s grandson, told Belford in a statement read after the young man's voice faltered.

The crash also injured a 16-year-old friend of the defendant who was a passenger in the Nissan — and the defendant himself.

The defendant’s attorney, Matt Hereth, said Belford would see the scars on his face from the crash the rest of his life. The Legal Aid attorney said his client was "filled with guilt, regret and remorse" and was "taking responsibility for his role in this tragedy."

But Hereth also said the veteran police officer who pursued Belford could have stopped the high-speed chase that lasted more than five minutes as they covered more than six miles.

"He knew the risks that were involved … It’s our opinion that he did not follow the procedures," Hereth said of the officer.

The 911 dispatcher told the officer "to use caution and to not unreasonably endanger the lives of the public or other officers, but he continued that pursuit," the attorney added.

Suffolk police launched an internal investigation after the crash to see if the officer observed department protocol. A department spokeswoman said after Belford’s previous guilty plea that the agency couldn't provide an update on that probe "due to the ongoing criminal case."

After an inquiry Thursday, a police spokesman said that "due to pending civil litigation" the department couldn't comment on the case.

"Ultimately, you’re responsible. You did this," the judge told the defendant, before meting out his penalty.

Camacho also echoed the words of one of the Weingartens’ children, telling Belford to "do good and be good" in memory of the victims.