A Plainview woman was indicted on Friday, Oct. 17, for a drug-fueled August crash in East Meadow that killed a 55-year-old man and injured two other victims, according to Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly.
Cassandra Panetta, 41, was arraigned and pleaded not guilty on charges of manslaughter, vehicular manslaughter, two counts of assault, driving while ability impaired by drugs and reckless driving.
Bail was set at $500,000 cash, $750,000 bond, and $1 million partially secured bond, the DA said. Panetta is due back in court on Dec. 4, and if convicted, faces up to seven to 15 years in prison.
Donnelly said that Panetta was driving her 2021 Nissan Maxima along Carman Avenue in East Meadow toward her home on Aug. 10, when she approached a steady red light at the intersection with Salisbury Park Drive.
At the same time, another vehicle with three total passengers was making a left turn through a green light onto Carman Avenue from Salisbury Park Drive, the DA said.
Panetta drove through the red light on Carman Avenue without braking and crashed into the rear driver’s side of the car as it was making its turn, Donnelly said.
The backseat passenger of the car, 55-year-old Steven Diamond, was in cardiac arrest when paramedics arrived at the scene and was pronounced dead at the hospital roughly two hours later, the DA said.
The driver of the car suffered a concussion and the front-seat passenger sustained minor injuries, while Panetta fractured her wrist in the crash, the DA said.
Forensic testing of Panetta’s blood revealed the presence of methamphetamine and amphetamine in her system.