UPDATED: 5-Year-Old West Islip Boy Killed in Shirley Car Crash
Suffolk County Police charge Ronkonkoma man with driving under the influence of drugs.
UPDATE: The 5-year-old West Islip boy involved in this crash died of his injuries at Stony Brook University Medical Center on Sunday, according to police.
Suffolk County Police arrested a Ronkonkoma man and charged him with driving while ability impaired by drugs after he was involved in motor vehicle crash in Shirley that critically injured a 5-year-old West Islip boy.
According to police, Steven Kinalis, 30, was driving a 2007 Toyota Scion eastbound on Sunrise Highway Saturday morning when his vehicle rear-ended a 2004 Dodge pickup truck driven by Kevin Gaffney, 36, of West Islip. After being struck, Gaffney’s truck left the road and struck a tree.
The accident happened just east of the William Floyd Parkway.
Police said the 5-year-old, Gaffney's son, was airlifted to Stony Brook University Medical Center. Gaffney, his wife, 7-year-old daughter and 2-year-old son were treated at Stony Brook for non-life-threatening injuries.
Police have charged Kinalis, of Ronkonkoma, with driving while ability impaired by drugs. Kinalis, who refused medical treatment following the crash, is being held on $150,000 cash bail following a Sunday arraignment at First District Court in Central Islip.
No word yet on whether Kinalis will face additional charges. He is due back in court on Wednesday.
On his Facebook profile, Kinalis lists his job as a senior loan consultant at Sterling National Bank in Great Neck.
fed up
4:34 pm on Sunday, December 11, 2011
Well said Marianne. May god bless the family and the entire West Islip community. This is a student from Oquenock, today is not a day we should be arguing about recent BOE matters. Today we reflect on a life cut short by a tragic tragic event.
Gayle Amico
5:12 pm on Sunday, December 11, 2011
I absolutely 100% agree!! THIS IS A TRAGEDY!! A child moving his education to a different location is NOT a tragedy!! Count your blessings and learn how to deal with bumps in the road instead of making them into tragedies.
Jessica Horvath
6:45 pm on Sunday, December 11, 2011
First of all, how DARE any of you bring a dead BABY into this ridiculous nonsense with the schools. How dare you. Our focus needs to be NOWHERE ELSE but on the Gaffney family. One thing has nothing to do with the other. They are completely separate issues.
Gayle Amico
8:15 pm on Sunday, December 11, 2011
Me too Marianne, I know how I meant it also. Learned this lesson unfortunately too many times. My heart goes out to the Gaffney family. I can't imagine their pain. Learn what is important in life and cherish it.
nancy
10:14 pm on Sunday, December 11, 2011
People that know you know what your intentions were Gayle. Sometimes it takes someone else's tragedy to give you a reality check, especially when it hits so close to home. You realize it could be any one of our children. Such a horrible tragedy at what is supposed to be a blessed happy time of year.
Chris Timmons
9:52 pm on Sunday, December 11, 2011
Knew him since he was just a baby as our neighbor and saw him grow up, this is a terrible thing to happen to such a great family. I am so heartbroken by this and to know bad things always end up happening to good people. God bless them.
fed up
11:22 pm on Sunday, December 11, 2011
Marianne and Gayle I think all 3 of meant no disrespect! My heart goes out to the Gaffney family as well. Jessica please relax.
Irene
7:43 am on Monday, December 12, 2011
The family will be in the prayers of my family. I will put a prayer chain together in my small circle to hold this family up which is the least that I can do. I am so terribly sorry! May the Lord send you his peace.
Seriously, those comments above were totally uncalled for, but nothing shocks me anymore.
melissa
11:33 am on Monday, December 12, 2011
My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends. Godbless them at this time of loss. May he rest in peace and now be an angel from above to watch over his family everyday. My heart is truly breaking for this family. I am so sorry for your loss.
dan johnson
1:39 pm on Monday, December 12, 2011
Leonardo...retract your post immediately on you helping with cpr..now please..my heart goes out to all involved in this tragedy. Dan Johnson E.M.T.
Leonardo
8:35 pm on Monday, December 12, 2011
Chris, as you can see, I did remove my post-even though nothing I wrote has any effect on an investigation. I was only sharing MY experience and making sure to mentioned others who helped.
Best you you and everyone