NYC Man Admits To Hurting Bystander While Performing 'Dangerous Stunts' At 'Street Takeover' In Patchogue: DA

RIVERSIDE, NY — A Brooklyn man is expected to be sentenced to two years in jail after admitting that his vehicle struck a 19-year-old woman watching in a crowd as he performed dangerous and illegal amateur car stunts at a strip mall in Patchogue last year, Suffolk District Attorney Ray Tierney said Thursday.

Matthew Mitchell, 20, of Brooklyn, pleaded guilty to second-degree assault and aggravated unlicensed operation, as well as leaving the scene of an incident without reporting, reckless endangerment, and reckless driving.

Patch has reached out to his attorney, John Manley of Hauppauge.

Tierney said that the plea sends a clear message to anyone who takes part in illegal street takeovers that the county "will not tolerate reckless behavior that puts innocent lives at risk."

“Street racing and stunt driving may seem like fun to participants, but, as this case demonstrates, the consequences can be devastating," he said. "Bystanders can easily be seriously injured or killed, and drivers will end up in prison for any harm they cause."

"The best case scenario is you just lose your car," he said. "We will continue working with law enforcement to crack down on these dangerous gatherings and ensure that participants understand there are serious legal consequences for their reckless choices.”

Mitchell admitted that on Oct. 6, 2024, at around 1:15 a.m., a large group of vehicles and people gathered at the Gateway Plaza to take part in or watch people performing “doughnuts,” drifting, and other amateur car stunts, prosecutors said.

During the night, there were other locations throughout Suffolk and Nassau counties
where groups of vehicles and people were performing similar stunts and driving maneuvers, with witnesses watching, recording, and posting the stunts on social media, according to prosecutors.

One of the posts included a video of the 19-year-old woman, who was standing in the parking lot
watching the maneuvers, and showed Mitchell’s white Infiniti strike her with the
side of his car as he tried to perform a stunt, prosecutors said.

After she was struck, Mitchell’s vehicle bolted from the scene before officers responded, prosecutors said, adding that she was taken to a local hospital by a friend and treated for a fractured femur and pelvis.

Suffolk police used social media posts to find both witnesses and Mitchell, according to prosecutors. He was found about a week later by Suffolk detectives, with the help of the New York City Police Department. A review of his driving history showed his license was revoked, and had six suspensions on six separate dates.

He is due back in court on Jan. 22.