What Happened
Adam Chrzanowski, 45, a Polish national, pleaded guilty Wednesday in Suffolk County Court to aggravated vehicular homicide and multiple related charges in the March 6, 2022, crash on Route 25 in Cutchogue that killed a Massapequa woman, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney announced, according to Patch.
At approximately 6:04 p.m. on March 6, 2022, Chrzanowski was driving a 2021 Toyota RAV4 eastbound on Route 25 in Cutchogue when he crossed the double yellow lines to pass a vehicle ahead of him. He saw a 2019 Nissan Rogue approaching in the oncoming lane, swerved back into his own lane, and struck the car he had been attempting to pass, triggering a chain-reaction collision with a third vehicle, the DA said. Chrzanowski then swerved again and struck the Nissan Rogue head-on. Two other vehicles spun out of control as a result of that impact.
Elizabeth Post, 60, of Massapequa, was the front-seat passenger in the Nissan Rogue. She underwent multiple surgeries for severe internal injuries and fractures before dying from those injuries on September 12, 2022, six months after the crash, Tierney said. The driver of the Nissan Rogue sustained fractures to his spine, clavicle, sternum, ribs, and leg.
After the crash, Chrzanowski refused to submit to a chemical breath test when police requested one. He was transported to a local hospital, where a blood sample was taken. That sample showed a BAC of 0.28 percent, more than three times the 0.08 percent legal limit under New York VTL § 1192.2, per Patch’s report.
Chrzanowski was legally in the United States at the time of the crash. After being indicted, he boarded a flight from JFK Airport on March 10, 2024, and returned to Poland. Suffolk County courts issued a bench warrant after he failed to appear on the pending indictment. Federal and Polish authorities located him and extradited him back to Suffolk County in March 2026, Tierney said.
On Wednesday, September 9, 2026, Chrzanowski entered his plea before County Court Judge Bryan Browns. He admitted guilt to three counts of aggravated vehicular homicide, Class B felonies; one count of second-degree manslaughter, a Class C felony; two counts of second-degree assault, Class D violent felonies; one count of aggravated driving while intoxicated, a Class E felony; and one count of reckless driving, an unclassified misdemeanor, according to the DA’s office as reported by Patch.
“Today, this defendant admitted guilt in causing the death of Elizabeth Post and then fleeing to Poland in an attempt to evade justice,” Tierney said. “Thanks to our strong partnership with our federal and international law enforcement partners, the defendant was located, extradited and held accountable.”
Chrzanowski’s attorney, Christopher Gioe, was not immediately available for comment, Patch reported.
Location & Road Context
Route 25, also called Main Road, is the principal east-west corridor through the North Fork, running through Cutchogue, Mattituck, and Southold before terminating at the Orient Point ferry terminal. The roadway carries a mix of local residential traffic, farm and vineyard delivery vehicles, and seasonal tourist traffic, with posted speed limits that vary through hamlet centers. The stretch in Cutchogue where this crash occurred is a two-lane undivided road; crossing the double yellow line there puts a driver directly into oncoming traffic with no physical barrier.
More information on North Fork roads and traffic conditions is available on this site.
Investigation & Legal Proceedings
Chrzanowski faces a sentence of five to 15 years in prison. He is due back before Judge Browns in Suffolk County Court on December 16, 2026, for sentencing, Tierney said. The plea allocution included Chrzanowski’s own admissions consistent with the court documents on file.
The extradition required cooperation between Suffolk County prosecutors, federal authorities, and Polish law enforcement. Chrzanowski had been a fugitive from the pending indictment for approximately two years, from March 2024 until his return to Suffolk County in March 2026.
What This DWI Charge Means
New York Vehicle and Traffic Law § 1192 creates three distinct tiers of impaired-driving offenses. DWAI (§ 1192.1) applies when a driver’s ability is impaired by alcohol, even below a measurable BAC threshold, and is a traffic infraction on a first offense. DWI (§ 1192.2) requires a BAC of 0.08 percent or higher and is a misdemeanor on a first offense, carrying fines of $500 to $1,000, a minimum six-month license revocation, and up to one year in jail. Aggravated DWI (§ 1192.2-a) applies at 0.18 percent BAC or higher, doubles the minimum fine range to $1,000–$2,500 on a first offense, and mandates installation of an ignition interlock device. Chrzanowski’s recorded BAC of 0.28 percent placed him well inside the aggravated threshold.
When a DWI results in death, New York prosecutors can charge aggravated vehicular homicide under Penal Law § 125.14, a Class B felony carrying a maximum sentence of 25 years. The charge requires proof that the defendant operated a motor vehicle while impaired and caused a fatality through reckless driving, both elements Chrzanowski admitted to in his Wednesday allocution. Second-degree manslaughter, the Class C felony also in the plea, carries a maximum of 15 years.
Refusing a chemical breath test in New York carries automatic consequences independent of any criminal charge: a one-year civil license revocation and a $500 civil penalty on a first refusal, administered by the DMV at a separate Department of Motor Vehicles hearing. That refusal did not prevent prosecution here. Hospital blood draw results, legally obtained, provided the BAC evidence used in court.
Case Status & Updates
An arrest or indictment is an accusation; the accused is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. In this case, Chrzanowski has entered a guilty plea before County Court Judge Bryan Browns, and the presumption of innocence no longer applies to the charges he admitted. Sentencing is scheduled for December 16, 2026, in Suffolk County Court.
Long Island Traffic tracks DWI cases through the Suffolk County and Nassau County court systems and updates each report with arraignment outcomes, guilty pleas, and sentencing results as they enter the public record. Check back on this page after the December 16 proceeding for the sentence imposed.