Guilty plea in motorcycle crash that killed Rockville Centre man

A Long Beach man pleaded guilty to manslaughter, driving a motorcycle while drunk and high, and other charges Tuesday after a March 2022 crash in which he struck and killed a pedestrian crossing a street in Rockville Centre, Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly announced.

Christopher Flores, 29, pleaded guilty before Judge Caryn Fink to second-degree manslaughter, first-degree vehicular manslaughter, second-degree assault, driving while ability impaired by the combined influence of alcohol and drugs, and driving while intoxicated, prosecutors said.

On March 19, 2022, at 11:53 p.m., Scott Brower, 42, of Rockville Centre, was crossing Merrick Road at South Forest Avenue in a crosswalk when he was struck by Flores driving a 2020 BMW motorcycle east on Merrick Road at a high rate of speed while intoxicated and high, prosecutors said.

Flores was thrown from the motorcycle, which crashed into a 2012 Honda Civic, also heading east.

Brower was transported to Nassau University Medical Center where he was pronounced dead at 1:40 a.m., police said. He had been walking home after meeting a friend at a local restaurant to watch the March Madness NCAA basketball tournament and have a few drinks, Donnelly said.

“Scott chose not to drive, and despite making the responsible choice, still tragically lost his life to drunk driving,” she said in a statement. “Pedestrians should not have to fear being mowed down by an impaired driver on our streets.”

Flores also suffered significant physical injuries and was transported to Mount Sinai South Nassau Hospital in Oceanside for treatment, police said. Blood taken at the hospital showed Flores had a BAC of .17, more than twice the legal limit, and evidence of cannabis use, authorities said.

He was arrested on March 20, 2022, and is expected to be sentenced to5 to 12 years in prison when he is next in court on April 17.

"Mr. Flores has always been extremely remorseful over what had occurred," his lawyer, Dennis Lemke, said. "He did not want the family to go through the trauma of a trial."

With Janon Fisher