Rand Strollo, of Amityville, charged with DWI in crash that killed Mario Matute, of Copiague
An Amityville man was charged on Wednesday night with driving while intoxicated after Suffolk police said he struck and killed a pedestrian.
Police said Rand Strollo, 62, was driving a Hyundai Tucson about 11:20 p.m., heading south on Great Neck Road in Copiague when he fatally struck Mario Matute, 59, of Copiague.
Matute was walking on Great Neck Road at the intersection with Malta Street, police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police charged Strollo with DWI and criminal possession of a controlled substance. Police impounded the Hyundai for a safety check.
Strollo was held awaiting his arraignment on Thursday in First District Court in Central Islip. A defense attorney was not listed.
Police are asking anyone with information to call Major Case detectives at 631-852-6553.
In 2023, 222 people died in Long Island car crashes. Suffolk has led the state in the total number of traffic fatalities for at least a decade, while Nassau has ranked second deadliest in six of the past 10 years, a recent Newsday analysis found.
John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.
