Salisbury drag racer sentenced to five years in jail

Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice announced on Thursday that a Salisbury man has been sentenced to five years in prison by Nassau County Judge William Donnino for crashing into a stopped vehicle while high on heroin and other drugs and drag-racing another vehicle at more than 100 mph. The crash resulted in injuries to both drivers and the defendant’s two passengers.

Michael Sinclair, 21, of Salisbury, pleaded guilty on July 13 to two counts of felony Assault in the First Degree, and misdemeanor counts of Assault in the Third Degree and Aggravated Driving While Intoxicated-Drugs, Rice said. 

Rice said that at approximately 11:20 p.m. on Jan. 14, 2009, Sinclair was drag-racing another vehicle in the southbound lanes of Newbridge Road in East Meadow at speeds in excess of 100 mph. Sinclair, who was high on heroin, marijuana, and Xanax at the time, crossed into the northbound lanes in an effort to pass a Toyota Camry that was stopped in front of him attempting to make a left turn, prosecutors said. 

Sinclair was unable to complete the pass and crashed into the back of the stopped vehicle, catapulting it 113 feet across all lanes of traffic at approximately 50 mph, prosecutors said. According to Rice, Sinclair’s Infiniti G35 spun 147 feet across the northbound lanes and crashed into a telephone pole. 

The driver of the other vehicle suffered a concussion, one of Sinclair’s passengers had facial cuts and permanent scarring, and his other passenger was injured with a fractured shoulder that required reconstructive surgery. Sinclair was ejected from his vehicle and suffered facial fractures, hand and ankle injuries, and a head injury that rendered him unconscious for two days, officials said.

Furthermore, Rice said that Sinclair was driving with a DMV-issued conditional license, and that his license had been suspended due to pending charges for heroin possession and drugged driving. Prosecutors recommended that Sinclair be sentenced to 10 years in prison. 

“This was a horrific crash that could’ve easily turned deadly, and all because this man made the reckless decision to drive while high on drugs,” Rice said. “My office will continue to push for tougher sentences for drunk and drugged drivers who endanger every innocent life on the road.”

Assistant District Attorney Brendan Ahern of the DA’s Vehicular Crimes Bureau is handling the case for the District Attorney’s Office. Sinclair is represented by Barry Levin, Esq.