Crime & Safety

West Islip Man Sentenced in Road Rage Crash Fatality

Dennis Grabhorn is serving one to three years for the death of a West Islip teen.

A West Islip man has pled guilty in the death of a 15-year-old West Islip teenager who was killed as a result of a road rage incident a year ago and is now serving a one-to-three year term upstate, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office.

Dennis Grabhorn Jr., 35, pled guilty in October to criminally negligent homicide, reckless driving, speeding, following too close to a vehicle and driving in a passing zone. A charge of unlawful possession of a controlled substance was dismissed as part of the plea deal.

According to police Grabhorn’s driving actions led to a deadly crash that killed Thomas Labetti on September 11, 2012.

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Police say Grabhorn was driving a 2006 Chevy Tahoe at the traffic light at Udall Road and the Sunrise Highway service road in West Islip when a vehicle in the turn lane preparing to turn left moved from the turn lane back into the southbound lane in front of Grabhorn.

Police said Grabhorn became "angry" and began tailgating the vehicle, then passed the vehicle in the turning lane and cut back in front of it near the intersection of Pine Avenue. It was then, police said, that Grabhorn struck Labetti who was riding his bicycle on the southbound side of Udall Road.

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Labetti sustained critical injuries and died from his injuries 17 days later at Good Samaritan Hospital. 


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