AG James Unleashes Raw Footage of Off-Duty Cop's Deadly Crash

New York State Attorney General Letitia James on Thursday released security camera footage as part of her office’s ongoing investigation into a June crash involving an off-duty Suffolk police officer that resulted in a fatality. The Attorney General’s office, by law, investigates all instances where a law enforcement official, whether on or off-duty, may have caused a death, aiming to increase transparency and strengthen public trust in such matters.

The incident occurred shortly after 10 p.m. on June 12 in North Patchogue. Hilton Spokony, 45, of East Patchogue, was a passenger in a 2023 Kia Forte, which was attempting a left turn from Waverly Avenue onto Buckley Road while southbound. Traveling northbound on Waverly Avenue was off-duty Suffolk police officer Michael Aulivola, 55, of Holtsville, driving a 2016 Dodge Ram. The two vehicles collided.

Following the collision, Spokony was transported to NYU-Langone Hospital-Suffolk in Patchogue, where he was pronounced dead by medical staff. Both Officer Aulivola and the driver of the Kia, Meredith Hill, 79, of East Patchogue, sustained non-life-threatening injuries and were transported to Stony Brook University Hospital for treatment.

The released security footage offers several perspectives of the crash. One angle shows late-evening traffic appearing light as a dark-colored sedan (the Kia Forte) approaches, its left rear blinker flashing as it slows at a green light. Just before the sedan attempts its left turn, two vehicles pass it heading in the opposite direction. The moment of impact captures the Kia being struck on its right-front passenger door by a large white pickup truck (the Dodge Ram). Other footage, which includes audio, reveals the loud bang caused by the collision and shows the force sending both vehicles off the road and onto a grassy area adjacent to the intersection. Another viewpoint shows the immediate aftermath, with a person identified as the pickup truck’s driver (presumably Aulivola) climbing out with a flashlight and shining it onto the sedan.

As of the release of the footage, James’ office has not yet announced whether its investigation will lead to criminal charges. The investigation continues, upholding the Attorney General's commitment to independent oversight in cases involving law enforcement.