Willem Specht, of Wantagh, pleads guilty in crash that killed Joseph DeVito outside Woodbury diner

A Wantagh man whose blood alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit when he struck and killed a pedestrian while backing up in a parking lot in January 2023 pleaded guilty Monday to charges in connection with the crash, Nassau prosecutors said.

Willem Specht, 63, pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicular homicide, second-degree assault and aggravated driving while intoxicated, the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office said in a statement.

Specht is expected to be sentenced to 7 to 15 years in prison on Sept. 25.

“Willem Specht, a recidivist drunk driver with two prior convictions, was more than two times the legal limit for alcohol when he struck and killed Joseph DeVito, who was standing outside the On Parade Diner, saying goodbye to his lifelong friend,” Nassau District Attorney Anne Donnelly said in a statement. “Joseph was a husband, a father, a grandfather, and a friend to many. His family has endured immeasurable heartbreak because of this defendant’s reckless and entirely preventable actions. Our thoughts remain with Joseph’s family as his killer faces accountability for this tragedy.”

The victim's son, Anthony DeVito, declined to comment, but said some family members attended the hearing.

Specht’s defense attorney, Steve LaMagna, told Newsday after the guilty plea: “By his plea today, Mr. Specht took responsibility for this tragic accident. He and his family hope by today’s proceedings the DeVito family can begin the process to heal.”

Prosecutors said on Jan.18, 2023, at about 2:30 p.m., DeVito, 61,  of Wantagh, was standing on the sidewalk talking to a high school friend in front of the diner, when Specht struck DeVito after “rapidly reversing his car from a parking spot,” prosecutors said. Specht “narrowly avoided striking Mr. DeVito’s friend as well.”

DeVito suffered catastrophic head injuries and died shortly afterward at Syosset Hospital, prosecutors said.

Specht continued driving his 2004 Infiniti G35 in reverse after striking DeVito and drove over another sidewalk, striking a ramp and a metal fence leading into the diner and the exterior wall of the diner, prosecutors said.

Specht attempted to leave the scene but was stopped by a witness, prosecutors said, and arrested by Nassau police.

Specht’s blood alcohol content was 0.18% when it was taken at the hospital more than three hours after he struck DeVito, prosecutors said. The legal limit in New York State is 0.08%.

In July, Specht’s bail was revoked after prosecutors said they discovered he skipped a court date so that he could instead take a trip to the liquor store. He had been ordered in February 2023 by Supreme Court Justice Teresa Corrigan to remain sober as a condition of his bail ahead of his pending trial, but was seen on video surveillance footage crossing Merrick Road at 10:37 a.m. on a day he was supposed to be in court and entering Seaside Wine & Liquors, where prosecutors said he bought a pint of Svedka vodka. The footage showed him drinking from the bottle several times, prosecutors said.

With Janon Fisher

By Nicole Fuller

nicole.fuller@newsday.com@NicoleFuller

Nicole Fuller is Newsday's senior criminal justice reporter. She began working at Newsday in 2012 and previously covered local government.