Cops don't know why man fled before fatal crash

Why a North Babylon man sped off in his car Sunday morning during a traffic stop and led a Suffolk police officer on a mile-long chase that ended in the man's death when he crashed his car remains a mystery, police said yesterday.

The motorist, John Ricciardi, 49, whose only contact with the law was an old driving-while-impaired conviction going back decades, crashed his sedan while being pursued by the officer.

Ricciardi, married and a father of two sons, died in the single-car crash.

Detectives searched Ricciardi's mangled BMW yesterday but did not find any evidence that would shed light on why Ricciardi took off when the officer, whom police did not name, stopped him near Outlook Avenue in North Babylon for driving too fast, said Det. Lt. John Edwards of First Squad.

It's not unusual for an officer to initiate a pursuit when a motorist flees during a traffic stop, Edwards said.

"It's a judgment call," said Edwards. "Our initial determination is that the actions of the officers were in compliance with department pursuit policy."

Edwards said the officer followed departmental policy and notified a dispatcher that he was initiating the pursuit. The dispatcher followed protocol and assigned a supervisor to monitor the pursuit. The pursuit is being reviewed by superiors in the Patrol Division, Edwards said.

Detectives also spoke to Ricciardi's family members and they did not know where Ricciardi had been before the crash, said Edwards.

Toxicology results are expected in a week, Edwards said.