Massapequa woman sentenced in DWI crash that injured two elderly pedestrians, Nassau DA says

A Massapequa woman was sentenced to up to 7½ years in prison Friday for striking and seriously injuring two elderly pedestrians while driving with a blood alcohol concentration nearly three times the legal limit.

Nassau County prosecutors said Joanne Dooher, 51, had a blood alcohol concentration of .22 on July 31, 2020, when she crashed into two pedestrians crossing Merrick Road in Massapequa at 6:30 p.m. The collision caused serious injuries to a 93-year-old man and an 86-year-old woman, who broke her pelvis, prosecutors said.

Dooher pleaded guilty July 20 before Judge Robert Schwartz to several charges, including felony aggravated vehicular assault, felony second-degree assault and misdemeanor third-degree assault and aggravated driving while intoxicated.

She was sentenced Friday in a Mineola courtroom to three to 7½ years in prison. The Nassau County District Attorney had recommended a sentence of five to nine years in prison, prosecutors said.

"Joanne Dooher was driving while grossly intoxicated — nearly three times the .08 threshold — and struck two elderly pedestrians who were simply trying to cross over Merrick Road," Acting District Attorney Joyce Smith said. "The innocent victims of this criminal driving will suffer the effects of the serious injuries they received for the rest of their lives. NCDA is committed to prosecuting the drunk, drugged, and reckless drivers who continue to endanger innocent people."

Dooher's attorney, Colleen Baktis, could not be immediately reached for comment Friday.

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.