An East Patchogu man was sentenced Tuesday to 4-to-8 years in prison for driving drunk and causing a crash that killed his 77-year old grandfather seven months ago.
Gary Hendricks had pleaded guilty at Suffolk County court to vehicular manslaughter, vehicular assault and driving while intoxicated.
Prosecutors said the 45-year-old man was driving a Chevrolet Suburban on Sunrise Highway in Patchogue when he rear-ended a pickup truck and lost control of the truck, which flipped on the shoulder several times on July 22.
Isaac Beal was ejected and pronounced dead at the scene and two of Hendricks passengers were injured, one critically.
Hendricks reportedly told police he was driving without a license because his passengers had more to drink than the two beers he had, authorities said.
He was found to have a blood alcohol content of 0.17 percent, more than double the legal limit of 0.08 percent.
