Nassau Coast Guard Vet Sentenced For Drunk Driving, Injuring Police Officer

NEW HYDE PARK, NY — A Coast Guard veteran from New Hyde Park was sentenced Wednesday afternoon to six to 12 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicular assault for a 2018 drunken driving crash that injured a Nassau County police officer.

Keith Dillon was driving at three times the legal blood alcohol limit when he hit Officer Willard Gomes' car, according to the Nassau County District Attorney's office. The crash resulted in a rash of injuries to Gomes, including a broken neck vertebra.

Dillon was speeding, up to 70 mph, on Glen Cove Road in Greenvale in January 2018 and crossed the center median before crashing head-on into Gomes' police car. Prosecutors said he was also under the influence of Xanax.

Dillon, a Coast Guard veteran, was sentenced following a second deal with prosecutors. An earlier plea deal in 2019 was later overturned in an appeals court.

See also:

• Nassau Coast Guard Vet Pleads Guilty Again In DWI Crash That Hurt Cop
• Nassau County Driver Gets Prison In Crash That Hurt Cop