Brian August, Brian Kitchen, both of Bay Shore, plead guilty in 2025 fatal DWI crash on Sunrise Highway
The Massapequa Fire Department and Nassau County Police responded to the fatal accident at Unqua Road and Sunrise Highway on April 19, 2025. Credit: Paul Mazza
A Long Island father and son have pleaded guilty in connection with a drunken driving crash that killed a Bay Shore man and seriously injured his wife in Massapequa last year, the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office said Thursday.
Brian August, 20, of Bay Shore, pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicular homicide, second-degree manslaughter, assault and aggravated DWI for the April 19, 2025, Sunrise Highway crash that claimed the life of 48-year-old Willie Singleton, prosecutors said. August’s father, 43-year-old Brian Kitchen, pleaded guilty to first-degree reckless endangerment for serving his son alcohol in the car before the crash.
"As a parent, it is inconceivable to me that a father could be so reckless and careless as to pour and serve his underage, teenage son shots of liquor while driving," Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly said in a statement. "Make no mistake, Brian August made the decision to drive drunk and was behind the wheel when he struck and killed Willie Singleton, but his father, Brian Kitchen, also failed his son and the Singletons that night."
August is expected to be sentenced to 4½ to 12 years in state prison when he returns to court Sept. 24, an offer made by State Supreme Court Justice Terence Murphy. Kitchen is facing 1 year in jail, prosecutors said.
The district attorney’s office had sought a sentence of 7 to 15 years in prison for August, according to a news release.
“Both father and son will be heading [behind bars] for their selfish and reckless choices as Willie’s wife, also seriously injured in the crash, continues to suffer the pain of losing her husband in one sudden, horrific moment," Donnelly said.
August was headed eastbound in a 2023 Bentley when he stopped at a red light in the left turning lane at the Unqua Road intersection at 9:03 p.m. He abruptly turned right across the eastbound lanes of traffic, striking a Polaris Slingshot driven by Singleton that was also headed east.
Singleton was ejected from the Polaris into another car stopped at a red light near Unqua Road, prosecutors said. He was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital where he was pronounced dead less than 45 minutes later.
Singleton’s wife, who was in the passenger seat, suffered significant injuries to her hips and legs, requiring emergency surgery. She now uses a wheelchair or walker to get around after having a metal rod implanted in her leg, prosecutors said.
The investigation found August, who was 19 years old at the time, had a blood alcohol content over 0.20% after doing vodka shots inside the vehicle, according to a news release. A 1.75 liter bottle and empty 50 milliliter bottles of vodka were recovered from the vehicle, prosecutors said.
August was arrested immediately following the crash. His father was charged six months later, prosecutors said.
August's defense attorney, Jeffrey Cohen, of Queens, could not be immediately reached for comment Thursday.
Attorney Marc Gann, of Mineola, who represented Kitchen, said his client has "accepted responsibility and is prepared to pay the price for that."
Grant Parpan covers Suffolk County courts and federal courts for Newsday. A Long Island native, he joined Newsday in 2022.
Out East Show: LI Aquarium, Patty's Berries and Bunches, Palmer Vineyards NewsdayTV's Doug Geed shows us some great spots 'Out East' to visit this summer.
Out East Show: LI Aquarium, Patty's Berries and Bunches, Palmer Vineyards NewsdayTV's Doug Geed shows us some great spots 'Out East' to visit this summer.
