N. Babylon man pleads guilty in fatal crash

A North Babylon man pleaded guilty Wednesday to manslaughter and drugged driving in a crash that killed a retired teacher.

Jeremy Weckerle, 33, will serve 5 to 10 years in prison for second-degree manslaughter, which was the top charge against him, and driving while ability impaired by drugs, prosecutors said.

Judge Alan Honorof is expected to sentence him Oct. 3.

Francine Gordon, whose husband, Paul Gordon, 65, was killed in the Sept. 14, 2010, crash, said she was satisfied with the plea, because it guaranteed that Weckerle will serve prison time.

Weckerle's lawyer, Lindsay Henry, of Babylon, declined to comment.

Prosecutors said Weckerle was driving his Nissan Pathfinder north on Route 107 and weaving in and out of traffic when he crossed the double yellow line into the southbound lane and crashed head-on into a Toyota Avalon being driven by Gordon, of Jericho.

Gordon suffered multiple injuries in the crash and died at a hospital less than an hour later, prosecutors said.

Weckerle, who broke his right leg in the crash, was found to have Xanax and high levels of Fentanyl in his system, prosecutors said. Fentanyl is a powerful painkiller often administered to end-stage cancer patients, they said.

"Today's guilty plea will not bring Paul Gordon back, but I do hope that it provides some level of comfort to his family and friends," Nassau District Attorney Kathleen Rice said. "This case is yet another example of the fatal consequences of prescription drug abuse."

Gordon was a longtime science teacher and baseball coach in Manhattan and Syosset schools, his family has said. In retirement, he tutored students and proctored end-of-semester exams, teaching aspiring science teachers at the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University.