Driver in Crash That Killed West Islip Man Back In Court Thursday

Written by Judy Mottl.

The driver who police say was high on drugs when he caused a seven-car crash that took the life of a West Islip man and injured two others last January in Sayville is due back in Suffolk County Court on Thursday.

Thomas Herman, of Patchogue, has been held without bail and is charged with murder in the second degree, three counts of aggravated vehicular homicide, manslaughter in the second degree, aggravated vehicular assault, assault in the second degree, reckless endangerment in the first degree, DWI, criminal possession of a controlled substance, leaving the scene of an incident and a number of traffic infractions.

He pled not guilt to the charges on May 3. The murder charge is in relation to the death of motorist Sam Longo, of West Islip.

According to the Suffolk District Attorney’s office Longo had been spending time with a life-long friend on the day of the accident and decided to take a quick ride to the CVS in Sayville.

At the same time, according to the DA, Herman, was driving a 2008 Chevy Trail Blazer at a high speed into town, allegedly high on PCP and had hit five cars along Main Street as he approached the CVS location.

Police say he crashed head on into Longo’s car, instantly killing Longo and seriously injuring his companion, Agnes Gilbert. Gilbert, an elderly female, suffered a fractured femur, a fractured hip and multiple fractured ribs.

Prior to getting in his car, police say Herman had been at home watching football and first decided to drive to Bellport to buy PCP and bought two drug-laced cigarettes. Police say he smoked sitting in his truck and put the second one in a cigarette pack for future use.

The River Avenue resident, according to the DA, also took multiple, high doses of Xanax, Oxycodone and Morphine on a daily basis. Herman told police he took the drugs to deal with back pain.

“He took all of those drugs on January 13, although Herman was warned that the drugs were incompatible with safe driving.  Incredibly, he told investigators- “I don’t think it bothers my driving,” stated DA Thomas Spota during a press conference earlier this year regarding the charges being filed.

Police say Herman left Bellport and headed west, through Patchogue and into Sayville with the supposed intention to buy cereal, which didn’t happen, according to police.

The first car police say Herman hit was near Amy Drive, where he rear ended a 2008 Toyota Prius also traveling westbound but was stopped in a turning lane to make a left hand turn onto Amy Drive. Police say Herman hit the back left of the Toyota as he was out of the westbound travel lane of the roadway.

Continuing westbound police say he sideswiped three more cars.

Spota said witnesses described Herman as driving erratically, straddling the eastbound/ westbound lanes at a speed of 80-100 mph through the narrow, car filled streets.

Police say Herman then hit a fifth car, an incident viewed by a local police car. The patrol officer then began to follow Herman to apprehend him for the accident.

In the time it took for the officer to do the needed U turn in pursuit, Herman hit a sixth car and then hit Longo’s vehicle.

Police say Longo’s car was pushed backward at least 50 feet and came to rest on top of a rock.

Following the crash, the DA said detectives searched Herman’s Trailblazer and found the PCP laced cigarettes, a stun gun and a blackjack.  Detectives also recovered a Tylenol bottle with a bar of scored Xanax (four doses) and two oxycodone pills in it.