Queens Man Gets Prison For 120 MPH Police Chase On Southern State Pkwy

NASSAU COUNTY, NY — A Queens man was sentenced to seven years in prison for leading police on a high-speed chase while he drove drunk and high on the Southern State Parkway.

Bently Butler, 35, of Rosedale, was convicted Dec. 2 of aggravated driving while intoxicated, driving while ability impaired by the combined influence of drugs and alcohol, operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, first- and second-degree aggravated unlicensed operation, circumvention of a court-ordered ignition interlock device, reckless driving, second-degree reckless endangerment, resisting arrest and third-degree unlawful fleeing of a police officer in a motor vehicle.

“The defendant was weaving in and out of traffic on the Southern State Parkway when a concerned motorist called 911,” Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly said. “When a New York State trooper encountered his vehicle, Butler accelerated to approximately 120 miles per hour and later crashed. The defendant incredulously claimed at trial that his vehicle was driven by another person. Today’s sentence sends a strong message that drunk and drugged driving will not be tolerated on our roadways.”

Around 9:45 p.m. on May 28, 2020, state police got a 911 call for an erratic driver heading east on the Southern State Parkway near exit 20 in Baldwin. When troopers found Butler, he ignored their lights and accelerated to flee.

Butler started to drive around 120 miles per hour, leading the troopers on a high-speed chase on the Southern State before he eventually lost control of his car and drove into the center median. He then tried to flee on foot, but was caught and arrested by police.

He was then taken to Nassau University Medical Center due to the severity of the crash. Tests showed that Butler had a blood-alcohol content of .21 percent and evidence of marijuana in his system.

At trial, Butler testified that he smokes marijuana several times a day and even asked the judge if he could smoke marijuana during a lunch break. He also testified that his cousin was driving during the chase, and he was simply “vibing” in the back seat. However, Butler was found climbing through the driver’s seat window after the crash before fleeing on foot.