Amandeep Singh of Rosyln, suspect in wrong-way DWI crash that killed Drew Hassenbein, Ethan Falkowitz wants evidence suppressed, court filings show
Amandeep Singh appears in the Nassau County Courthouse in Mineola in June. Credit: Howard Schnapp
The man accused in the alleged wrong-way drunken crash that killed two teens in Jericho in May wants to suppress statements he made while in police custody, according to new court filings a Nassau judge said would end plea negotiations and clear the way for a trial.
Amandeep Singh, 35, of Roslyn, had been given a Nov. 22 deadline by acting State Supreme Court Justice Helene Gugerty to either submit defense motions in the case or accept an offer from Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly’s office to serve time only on the top charge of aggravated vehicular homicide. If convicted at trial, Singh could serve seven additional years in prison beyond the 8 1/3 to 25 years prosecutors said was offered with the consent of the victims’ families.
Gugerty told Singh he had three weeks to reconsider after he rejected the offer at his most recent court appearance Nov. 2.
In a motion received by the court Monday, Singh’s defense team is seeking to suppress any statements he may have made to police before being read his Miranda rights, an identification of him made at the crash scene by a witness and to prevent references at trial to his prior arrests and convictions.
The defense, led by attorney Edward Sapone of Manhattan, is also seeking a court order to inspect the surveillance video system outside the Jericho firehouse and footage of the crash captured by those cameras, according to the motion.
Singh was arraigned June 26 on a 15-count indictment that includes manslaughter charges in the deaths of Roslyn High School freshman tennis stars Drew Hassenbein and Ethan Falkowitz, and assault charges for injuring two of their older teammates who were in the car with them.
Prosecutors have alleged Singh was driving a 2019 Dodge Ram pickup south in the northbound lanes of North Broadway in Jericho while drunk and high on cocaine shortly before 10:30 p.m. 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.
In the new motion, Sapone argues that police kept Singh in custody and asked him questions for more than two hours before informing him of his Miranda rights at 1 a.m., when he indicated he would not answer questions from investigators.
The motion alleges that police video footage shows officers identified Singh as the driver of the pickup truck within 15 minutes of the crash. At approximately 11 p.m., Singh told an officer, “I feel like I’m being arrested or something, man,” according to the motion. The officer responded, “No, you’re just detained, you’re not under arrest,” the motion states.
At 11:06 p.m., Singh received a Breathalyzer test that indicated he “was above the legal limit,” his attorneys allege.
During that time, officers continued to ask Singh where he was, if he had been drinking and whether he was driving the pickup truck, his attorneys state.
“Because Mr. Singh was in police custody and had not waived his Miranda rights, all statements made in response to questioning, or purposefully elicited by law enforcement must be suppressed,” Sapone wrote in the motion.
The motion does not indicate how Singh responded to police questions or any specific statements they hoped might be suppressed.
District attorney spokesman Brendan Brosh declined to comment on the defense motion Tuesday.
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, prosecutors previously said. An empty bottle of tequila was found behind Singh's driver's seat, prosecutors have said.
Receipts and security cameras also showed Singh was drinking at two bars before the crash, prosecutors said at prior appearances.
Singh has been held without bail since his initial arraignment May 4.
The teens had been celebrating a Roslyn varsity tennis victory with teammates at a restaurant before the crash. Despite being only 14 years old, Drew and Ethan were among the top players on their varsity team, having already played at elite levels of youth tennis.
Singh is due back in court Jan. 17.
The man accused in the alleged wrong-way drunken crash that killed two teens in Jericho in May wants to suppress statements he made while in police custody, according to new court filings a Nassau judge said would end plea negotiations and clear the way for a trial.
Amandeep Singh, 35, of Roslyn, had been given a Nov. 22 deadline by acting State Supreme Court Justice Helene Gugerty to either submit defense motions in the case or accept an offer from Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly’s office to serve time only on the top charge of aggravated vehicular homicide. If convicted at trial, Singh could serve seven additional years in prison beyond the 8 1/3 to 25 years prosecutors said was offered with the consent of the victims’ families.
Gugerty told Singh he had three weeks to reconsider after he rejected the offer at his most recent court appearance Nov. 2.
In a motion received by the court Monday, Singh’s defense team is seeking to suppress any statements he may have made to police before being read his Miranda rights, an identification of him made at the crash scene by a witness and to prevent references at trial to his prior arrests and convictions.
WHAT TO KNOW
- The man accused in the alleged wrong-way drunken crash that killed two teens in Jericho in May wants to suppress statements he made while in police custody, according to new court filings a Nassau judge said would end plea negotiations and clear the way for a trial.
- Amandeep Singh had a Nov. 22 deadline to either submit defense motions in the case or accept an offer from Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly’s office to serve time only on the top charge of aggravated vehicular homicide.
- The May 3 crash killed Roslyn High School freshman tennis stars Drew Hassenbein and Ethan Falkowitz and injured two of their older teammates who were in the car with them.
The defense, led by attorney Edward Sapone of Manhattan, is also seeking a court order to inspect the surveillance video system outside the Jericho firehouse and footage of the crash captured by those cameras, according to the motion.
Singh was arraigned June 26 on a 15-count indictment that includes manslaughter charges in the deaths of Roslyn High School freshman tennis stars Drew Hassenbein and Ethan Falkowitz, and assault charges for injuring two of their older teammates who were in the car with them.
Drew Hassenbein and Ethan Falkowitz. Credit: Peter Frutkoff; Tyler Hill Camp / Andy Siegel
Prosecutors have alleged Singh was driving a 2019 Dodge Ram pickup south in the northbound lanes of North Broadway in Jericho while drunk and high on cocaine shortly before 10:30 p.m. 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.
In the new motion, Sapone argues that police kept Singh in custody and asked him questions for more than two hours before informing him of his Miranda rights at 1 a.m., when he indicated he would not answer questions from investigators.
The motion alleges that police video footage shows officers identified Singh as the driver of the pickup truck within 15 minutes of the crash. At approximately 11 p.m., Singh told an officer, “I feel like I’m being arrested or something, man,” according to the motion. The officer responded, “No, you’re just detained, you’re not under arrest,” the motion states.
At 11:06 p.m., Singh received a Breathalyzer test that indicated he “was above the legal limit,” his attorneys allege.
During that time, officers continued to ask Singh where he was, if he had been drinking and whether he was driving the pickup truck, his attorneys state.
“Because Mr. Singh was in police custody and had not waived his Miranda rights, all statements made in response to questioning, or purposefully elicited by law enforcement must be suppressed,” Sapone wrote in the motion.
The motion does not indicate how Singh responded to police questions or any specific statements they hoped might be suppressed.
District attorney spokesman Brendan Brosh declined to comment on the defense motion Tuesday.
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, prosecutors previously said. An empty bottle of tequila was found behind Singh's driver's seat, prosecutors have said.
Receipts and security cameras also showed Singh was drinking at two bars before the crash, prosecutors said at prior appearances.
Singh has been held without bail since his initial arraignment May 4.
The teens had been celebrating a Roslyn varsity tennis victory with teammates at a restaurant before the crash. Despite being only 14 years old, Drew and Ethan were among the top players on their varsity team, having already played at elite levels of youth tennis.
Singh is due back in court Jan. 17.
Grant Parpan covers Suffolk County courts and federal courts for Newsday. A Long Island native, he joined Newsday in 2022.
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Newsday Live Music Series: Long Island Idols Newsday Live presents a special evening of music and conversation with local singers who grabbed the national spotlight on shows like "The Voice," "America's Got Talent,""The X-Factor" and "American Idol." Newsday Senior Lifestyle Host Elisa DiStefano leads a discussion and audience Q&A as the singers discuss their TV experiences, careers and perform original songs.
