What Happened
Thomas Lobianco, 26, of Lake Ronkonkoma, appeared in court September 9, 2026, to face aggravated vehicular homicide and a long list of additional charges tied to a drug-impaired crash last month that killed one road construction worker and seriously injured two others at the intersection of Townline Road and Terry Road in Suffolk County, according to News 12 Long Island.
Prosecutors say Lobianco was impaired by drugs when he drove the wrong way at high speed, blew a red light, and drove into an active work zone. Three construction workers, all wearing safety vests, were struck. Joel Sicon-Porix, of Mastic, died from his injuries. Two other workers were seriously injured.
“It was all preventable,” Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said at a press conference on the new charges. “He leaves three children behind, a loving family. They are obviously devastated.”
Before the crash, News 12 Long Island reports, Lobianco worked an overnight shift at a 7-Eleven near the crash site. Surveillance video from that store showed him swaying, stumbling, and nearly falling multiple times during the shift. Investigators recovered cannabis, clonazepam, and other drugs from a backpack in his vehicle. A switchblade knife was also found in the vehicle.
DA Tierney said expert witnesses would testify about the combined pharmacological effect. “When you take these substances together, there’s a synergistic effect which makes the overall effect even more impairing,” Tierney said. Defense attorney Robert Macedonio disputed any conclusions from the toxicology results. “We do not have the finalized results and they are not yet complete,” Macedonio said. “So any indication of what the levels of intoxication were, we cannot draw any conclusions at this time.” Macedonio also stated his client “feels horrific that one individual lost their life, and we have two other individuals that were seriously injured.”
The judge set bail at $7.5 million cash or $15 million bond. Lobianco’s driver’s license was suspended. He faces 8⅓ to 25 years in prison if convicted on the aggravated vehicular homicide count. His next court date is October 14, 2026.
Location & Road Context
The crash occurred at the intersection of Townline Road and Terry Road in Suffolk County. The intersection sits in a mixed residential and commercial corridor; the active work zone there placed flagged workers directly in the roadway at the time of the crash.
Suffolk County has 945 recorded accidents in the Long Island Traffic local incident database. Separate incidents on the same day closed roads in Rocky Point and drew Suffolk police to multiple scenes across the county.
Investigation & Legal Proceedings
Lobianco’s September 9 court appearance was a return visit — new charges, including aggravated vehicular homicide, were added to his existing case, according to News 12 Long Island. The DA’s office said the surveillance footage from the 7-Eleven and the physical evidence from Lobianco’s vehicle, including the recovered drugs and the switchblade, form the backbone of the prosecution.
Defense attorney Macedonio is contesting the toxicology conclusions, citing incomplete lab results. Final drug-level results were not available as of the September 9 hearing. Lobianco’s license was suspended by the court. He returns before the judge on October 14, 2026.
Broader Impact
Under New York Penal Law, aggravated vehicular homicide carries a maximum sentence of 25 years. The charge applies when a driver causes a death while operating a vehicle while impaired and commits an additional aggravating act — here, prosecutors cite wrong-way travel and running a red light into a marked work zone. Workers in active construction zones on Long Island roads carry no additional legal protection beyond what a conviction under that statute provides.