MINEOLA, N.Y. (Diya TV) — Amandeep Singh, 36, was sentenced Friday to 8⅓ to 25 years in prison for a wrong-way crash that killed two 14-year-old boys on Long Island. Singh pleaded guilty last month to aggravated vehicular homicide and other charges in the deaths of Roslyn Middle School students Ethan Falkowitz and Drew Hassenbein.
On May 3, 2023, Singh drove his pickup truck at 95 mph in a 40 mph zone while intoxicated and under the influence of cocaine. He collided head-on with a car carrying the two boys, who were returning from a tennis match celebration in Jericho. Both teens died at the scene.
In court, Singh expressed remorse, stating, “This was all my fault. Losing a child is the greatest grief. I have committed a great sin. If anyone should have died, it should have been me.” Despite his apology, family members of the victims condemned his actions. Drew’s dad, Mitch Hassenbein, observed, “What this man committed is beyond unthinkable, and he gets 25 years if we are lucky? He gave my son a death sentence, and all of us a life sentence.”
The courtroom was packed by the victims’ supporters, who overflowed into two rooms. Friends, neighbors, and classmates cried as they listened to their emotional testimonies.
Authorities reported that Singh’s blood alcohol level was nearly twice the legal limit, and he had both alcohol and cocaine in his system at the time of the crash. After the collision, Singh attempted to flee and hide behind a dumpster before being apprehended by police.
Singh’s defense attorney, Edward Sapone, stated that his client was devastated over the tragedy, saying, “He feels broken. He feels horrible.”
The sentencing has stirred calls for tighter penalties on impaired driving. The Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly argued that there should be legislation aimed at ensuring the drivers who made such disastrous choices face consequences commensurate to the actual havoc they cause.
