Yaphank woman indicted for manslaughter in drunk driving crash
Suffolk County district attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced that Melissa Koprowski, 31, of Yaphank, was indicted for manslaughter in the second degree, vehicular manslaughter in the second degree, driving while intoxicated, driving while ability impaired by the combination of alcohol and a drug, and other related charges, following a November 2024 crash on Middle Country Road that killed a passenger in another car, Esther Guy, 75, of Coram, and injured the driver.
“Driving while impaired is lethal activity and will be treated as such,” said district attorney Tierney. “My office will seek justice for the family of Esther Guy and will continue to aggressively prosecute anyone who chooses to threaten the safety of our roadways.”
According to the investigation, on Nov. 22, 2024, at approximately 8:39 p.m., Koprowski was allegedly operating a 2014 Dodge Durango eastbound on Middle Country Road in Middle Island. As Koprowski entered the intersection at Wading River Hollow Road, she attempted to make a left-hand turn in front of oncoming traffic, without having the right of way.
At that time, a blue 2022 Nissan Rogue was traveling westbound on Middle Country Road proceeding through the intersection with a green light. The driver’s 2-year-old child and 75- year-old mother, Esther Guy, were seated in the backseat of the Nissan Rogue. Koprowski’s SUV crashed head-on into the Nissan Rogue within the west bound lane of the intersection sending the Rogue off the road and into the wooded shoulder.
Immediately following the crash, Suffolk County police and other emergency responders rendered aid to those involved in the collision. All three occupants of the Nissan Rogue were transported via ambulance to Long Island Community Hospital where the driver of the Nissan Rogue was treated for her injuries. Esther Guy was pronounced dead shortly after her arrival to the hospital. The 2-year-old child was uninjured.
Koprowski was also transported to Long Island Community Hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. While at the hospital, officers alleged that she displayed indicia of intoxication and placed her under arrest.
On Jan. 6, Koprowski was arraigned on the indictment before Acting Supreme Court Justice Richard I. Horowitz for the following charges:
Koprowski is due back in court on Feb. 5, 2025. She is being represented by John Halverson, Esq.
This case is being prosecuted by assistant district attorney MacDonald Drane of the Vehicular Crime Bureau, and the investigation was conducted by Det. Brian Whitehead of the Suffolk County Police Department’s Major Case Unit.
DA announces ‘Operation Bloodhound’
Suffolk County district attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced a first round of results from “Operation Bloodhound,” which is an ongoing initiative between the DA’s Biological, Environmental, and Animal Safety Team (BEAST) and the Suffolk County Police Department. The joint law enforcement venture is to ensure that all laws and court mandates pertaining to animal cruelty prosecutions are strictly enforced. As part of the operation, members of law enforcement engaged in dozens of compliance actions against individuals who either had been accused of or had previously been convicted of animal cruelty-related offenses. The Suffolk County Police Department’s Warrant Squad additionally assisted in the apprehension of multiple defendants who had active warrants for not showing up to court to face charges of alleged animal neglect or abuse.
“Our fight to enforce laws against animal cruelty is not confined to courtroom walls,” said district attorney Tierney. “We will work to ensure that defendants who disregard court orders and court appearances are found and brought to justice. I want to thank the Suffolk County Police Department Warrant Squad in particular for helping to make ‘Operation Bloodhound’ a sustained and impactful success.”
“It is up to law enforcement to ensure defenseless animals who have no voice are protected especially from those who have no right to own them,” said Suffolk County Police acting commissioner Robert Waring. “This important initiative ensures compliance of animal abusers, and I commend the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office and the department’s Warrant Enforcement Section officers for their efforts in this ongoing operation.”
BEAST detectives also conducted numerous unannounced spot-check visits of defendants’ homes to ensure that they were in compliance with their criminal court sentences or orders. During one of the visits, a Calverton woman was found in possession of eight dogs and was accordingly arrested for eight counts of criminal contempt for violating a court order that prohibited her from possessing additional animals while her animal cruelty case was pending. Additionally, a Mastic Beach man was arrested for four counts of criminal contempt after investigators found him in possession of four cats in violation of a court order that prohibited him from owning or possessing animals for 10 years after a conviction on a prior animal neglect case. That defendant was also charged with not registering for the Suffolk County’s Animal Abuse Offender Registry.
Suffolk County police officers apprehended two defendants on outstanding warrants for absconding from pending criminal proceedings and charged them with additional bail jumping charges on top of their original cruelty charges. One of these defendants had allegedly stolen a kitten from the Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation and then attempted to kick the arresting officers. Detectives also located a defendant with an active warrant for animal abandonment at a detention center in Virginia.
Numerous other defendants that were checked during this enforcement initiative were found to be in compliance with court orders or the conditions of their probationary sentences.
Anyone convicted of specific animal cruelty offenses must annually register with the Suffolk County Police Department and pay a fee.
Suffolk County’s Animal Abuse Offender Registry, as required by Suffolk County Local Law. Three of those four defendants had pleaded to engaging in dogfighting in their prior case.
Operation Bloodhound is ongoing, and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office and Suffolk County Police Department will continue to work collaboratively to ensure that court orders and sentences related to animal cruelty are being complied with, and that additional defendants with active warrants are apprehended.
These cases are being prosecuted by the assistant district attorneys assigned to the Biological, Environmental, and Animal Safety Team (BEAST), under the supervision of assistant district attorneys Jed L. Painter and Brooke Salvatore.
Report animal abuse, neglect, or illegal possession of an exotic or dangerous animal in Suffolk County via our Website. Always call 911 in the event of an emergency.
If you have any information regarding the location of a defendant who has an active warrant, please call Crimestoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS.
