Bay Shore Man Sentenced To Prison For Fatal 2017 Crash: DA

CENTRAL ISLIP, NY — A Bay Shore man was sentenced on Tuesday to the maximum time in prison for killing a father of four and hurting two others in a 2017 car crash while driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol, according to Suffolk County District Attorney Timothy Sini.

Fernando Ramirez Jr., 34, was convicted by a jury in April of three counts of aggravated vehicular homicide, second-degree manslaughter, first-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a vehicle, aggravated DWI, two counts of DWI, driving while ability impaired by a combination of drugs and alcohol, reckless driving, and consumption of alcohol in a motor vehicle on a highway, the DA said.

He was sentenced by Suffolk County Supreme Court Justice Timothy Mazzei to 12 to 25 years in prison.

In 2017, Ramirez was driving a 2008 Subaru eastbound on the Long Island Expressway service road in Hauppauge, the DA said. He then ran a red light at the intersection of the service road and Route 111 and struck a red 1997 Ford F150, the DA said. The car then collided with a blue 2004 Infiniti G35 that was traveling northbound on Route 111, according to the DA.

A passenger in the Ford, 31-year-old Daniel Granados, of Central Islip, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the DA. The driver of the Ford was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital for treatment of serious physical injuries and the driver of the Infiniti was transported to Southside Hospital in Bay Shore for treatment of minor injuries, the DA said.

Ramirez sustained two broken femurs in the crash and one hour after the crash, a test revealed his blood-alcohol level to be 0.19 percent, more than twice the legal limit, according to the DA. His blood also tested positive for the presence of THC, the DA said.

During the trial, Ramirez claimed to have sustained a traumatic brain injury in the crash, according to Sini. In July 2019, an investigation began into Ramirez’s condition based on evidence that he may have been malingering, or faking symptoms of the injury, including requiring the use of a wheelchair and exhibiting signs of cognitive impairment such as limited speech and a comatose-like state of awareness at times, the DA said.

During the investigation, the DA's office obtained surveillance video of his house that showed him acting in a manner inconsistent with his condition on numerous occasions, including one instance in which Ramirez loaded his own wheelchair into the car at his house before leaving for a court appearance then arriving at court in the wheelchair, the DA said.

"This is a defendant who killed a father of four young children and injured two other victims, but instead of taking responsibility for his actions, he tried to convince the court that he was unfit for trial," Sini said. "His behavior throughout this case was an insult to the victims and their families who were truly suffering. But thanks to the great work of the prosecutors and investigators in this case, justice was served and he received the maximum sentence today."

A neurological report was produced by a certified psychologist designated by the director of the Suffolk County Division of Community Mental Hygiene Services indicated that Ramirez showed signs of "feigned cognitive impairment," according to the DA.