Patrick Loughlin, of Babylon, pleads not guilty to assault charges in alleged road rage incident that seriously injured Sachem schoolteacher

A Babylon man pleaded not guilty to felony assault charges Monday after Suffolk police say he ran over another driver at a West Babylon shopping center in a "road rage incident" before fleeing the scene Saturday night.

Patrick Loughlin, 37, was charged with first- and second-degree assault and criminal mischief and held overnight at the Third Precinct after turning himself in to police, his attorney said. District Court Judge Steven Weissbard set bail at $100,000 cash, $200,000 bond or $1 million partially secured bond.

Suffolk police said Loughlin and the alleged victim in the case, who was identified by his attorney as John Aebly, of West Babylon, a teacher in the Sachem school district, engaged in an altercation outside Gino's Pizzeria on Route 109 about 8:10 p.m. Saturday.

Police said Loughlin returned to his GMC pickup truck following the altercation, rammed Aebly's vehicle three times and ran over his body before leaving the scene.

In setting bail, Weissbard said, according to the allegations, Loughlin acted with "impulsivity and explosiveness."

Defense attorney Robert Schalk, of Mineola, said his client has no prior arrests and that Loughlin contacted police Sunday morning and turned himself in that evening at a time arranged with investigators.

"My client has never been in trouble in his life," Schalk said.

Schalk declined to say what led to the altercation and said it was police who called it "road rage."

"Until I hear 911 calls, until I see surveillance, until I start reading everyone's version of the events, I can't tell you what this is," Schalk said.

Police and prosecutors also did not give a narrative as to what led to the alleged fight.

Daniel Pucci, who was working at Gino's when the incident happened, said the staff noticed the commotion but didn't understand what had happened until first responders arrived. He said Aebly was covered in blood on the ground.

"The other driver was already gone," Pucci said of Loughlin.

Suffolk County Assistant District Attorney Jeremy Waite told the judge three witnesses gave statements to police about what they saw. He told the judge Aebly needed spinal fusion surgery.

Attorney Steven Politi, of Central Islip, who is representing Aebly, confirmed his client suffered a severe spinal injury in the alleged attack and is currently unable to walk.

"He made it through surgery and everyone is praying that he makes a full recovery, however, the full extent of his injuries are, at this time, still unknown," Politi said in a statement.

Aebly, 51, is a longtime physical education teacher with the Sachem school district, where he also attended classes, graduating in 1992, according to the district's alumni website. A wrestler, and football and lacrosse player at Sachem, where he has also coached, Aebly is a member of the Sachem Sports Hall of Fame, according to his bio on the website.

Sachem Superintendent Patti Trombetta said in a statement that the district’s "thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Aebly as he receives the medical attention he needs."

"Our primary focus is supporting Mr. Aebly and his family during his recovery process," she said.

Politi, who is also a longtime friend and former classmate of Aebly at Sachem, said he is confident the district attorney's office will prosecute the case fairly "based upon whatever facts they learn to be accurate."

"In America, every person accused of a crime enjoys the presumption of innocence and Mr. Loughlin should enjoy that same presumption," Politi said. "Our only goal, at this juncture, is to ensure that John receives the best medical care he can, so that he can heal and make a full recovery."

By Grant Parpan

grant.parpan@newsday.com@GrantParpan

Grant Parpan covers Suffolk County courts and federal courts for Newsday. A Long Island native, he joined Newsday in 2022.