Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas recently announced that a Huntington man was sentenced to 4½ years in prison for a March 2016 crash in Woodbury where the defendant drove drunk into oncoming traffic and crashed head-on into a vehicle, permanently injuring the driver and her 10-year-old daughter. The NCDA recommended four to 12 years in prison out of a possible five to 15 years on his plea of guilty.
The 61-year-old Eugene Golden pleaded guilty before Judge Christopher Quinn to charges of:
• Aggravated vehicular assault (a C felony)
• Two counts of second-degree assault (a D violent felony)
• Aggravated operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol (an unclassified misdemeanor)
“In a split second this mature businessman irrevocably altered the course of a 10-year-old girl’s life by driving head-on into her mother’s car while he was extremely drunk and by causing the mother and daughter permanent injuries,” Singas said. “This family will be impacted by the defendant’s selfish and criminal actions for the rest of their lives. This is the reality of drunk driving.”
Singas said that on March 8, 2016, at approximately 9:38 p.m., the defendant was driving a Mercedes Benz SUV northbound on Woodbury Road, crossed into oncoming traffic and collided with a Nissan Versa that was traveling southbound. The Nissan was driven by a 43-year-old woman who had her 10-year-old daughter in the backseat.
The crash occurred less than a half mile from the restaurant where the defendant had been excessively drinking. The defendant was observed consuming at least 10 large glasses of wine before driving and had a .27 BAC after the crash.
The victims in the Nissan were transported to local hospitals in critical condition. The 43-year-old woman suffered multiple fractured ribs, a fractured shoulder, a fractured spine and required the surgical removal of part of her colon. Her daughter suffered from a severe traumatic brain injury, which required three brain surgeries. Both victims continue to deal with significant medical issues that directly resulted from the crash.
The defendant was arrested by members of the Nassau County Police Department.
Assistant District Attorney Katie Zizza and Deputy Chief Michael Bushwack of DA Singas’ Vehicular Crimes Bureau are prosecuting the case. Golden is represented by Steven Epstein, Esq.
—Submitted by the Nassau County District Attorney’s office
