Jeffrey Stein, former Nassau County district attorney chief administrator, wife killed in crash

Jeffrey Stein, 54, of Brooklyn, a former chief administrator for the Nassau County District Attorney's Office, was killed Saturday, along with his wife, in a single-vehicle crash in Connecticut.

Stein and his wife, Jessica Melendez Stein, 43, were both fatally injured at about 10:15 a.m. Saturday when their Mazda CX-9 veered across northbound I-95 in Stratford, Connecticut, and drove into a median and struck a tree, according to an accident report by the Connecticut State Police.

For unknown reasons, the police said, the vehicle crossed across the interstate near Exit 32 and drove into a grassy area near the exit ramp before hitting a traffic sign and a tree. They were both pronounced dead at the scene.

The couple had two young children, ages 5 and 7, who were not with them at the time of the crash, said Rene Fiechter, a former community affairs director at the  district attorney’s office.

"He was a good friend and helped in the community," Fiechter said. "When I heard about the crash I thought about his kids and his family."

An online fundraiser by Stein’s family said they were driving to a baby shower.

Jeffrey Stein was remembered Monday for his work in both Nassau County politics and the district attorney’s office.

Nassau County and New York Democratic Party Chairman Jay Jacobs said Stein worked on then-Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi’s first campaign for the office.. Jacobs tapped Stein to serve as executive director of the Nassau Democrats and nominated him for the board of elections as Democratic commissioner.

Stein also ran Kathleen Rice’s campaign for district attorney in 2005 and was named her chief of staff. He continued to work in the district attorney’s office under District Attorney Madeline Singas until she was appointed to state Court of Appeals Justice in 2021.

“In the wake of this unimaginable tragedy, my thoughts are with Jeff and Jessica’s children, who must now navigate life without their guiding lights, and with their family and friends as they grapple with this profound and heartbreaking loss,” Singas said in a statement.

Jacobs said he remained close to Stein and his family, including visiting a summer camp Jacobs runs in the Catskills.

"He was just a soft-spoken nice guy, with an easy smile and laugh and a good sense of humor. He was a hard worker and genuinely someone I enjoyed being around," Jacobs said. "It’s just an awful tragedy. They were a nice family that had everything going for them."

The online fundraiser, for the couple's two children and Jessica Stein's children, 15 and 21, had raised $53,000 by Monday afternoon.

Connecticut State Police are asking anyone with information about the crash to contact Troop G at 203-696-2500.

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.