They gathered around his truck—family, friends, elected officials—to remember him and advocate for a law, Nick’s Law, that would have levied harsher penalties for the person who ran him over and fled the scene.
On a Saturday morning, they turned out, parents of other hit-and-run victims, to plead with state leaders to stop blocking the bills by local legislators, the representatives of suburbia where the streets are killing fields, that would perhaps save others.
Officials from every local office—town, county, and state—were there—even District Attorney Ray Tierney, who is fighting an ongoing battle with Albany to change the laws to help make Suffolk safer.
“He had so much to live for; he did not deserve this horrible death,” said Terry Puzio, Nick’s mother. “We need to change the laws to stop this from happening again.”
Nick Puzio was 25 years old when he was hit by two vehicles going through a pedestrian crosswalk in Patchogue. Both drivers fled the scene because they were drunk, it was suggested, and were later caught. One received a six-month sentence, and the other 60 days.
Sponsored by Senator Dean Murray and Assemblyman Doug Smith, the law named for the Farmingville resident will elevate such crimes to vehicular manslaughter, a Class B felony. “This new law will effectively reduce the extent of acquittals and the lessening of sentences in our legal system,” the sponsors say, stressing that drivers should be less inclined to run from an accident scene if they’re facing up to 25 years in jail.
“We have to get this done,” Ruthann Arnum appealed to the crowd. Her 23-year-old son, Dean, was mowed down by two drivers just after Christmas in 2022. One stayed at the scene while the other fled. That driver got 90 days. “The driver pulled over and checked his bumper and then hid for six days,” Ruthann recounted. “What’s wrong with these people?” she asked, referring to the legislators blocking Nick’s Law. “The detectives who arrested her said they had to let her go. We have to stop this.”
A third grieving family attended the rally for the new law. “The driver calculated the penalty and left the scene,” said Janine Hlavaty, whose son, Christopher, a Hagerman volunteer fireman, was cut down in June. “The repercussions for leaving must be greater than stopping.”
The statistics are troubling, Senator Murray pointed out. Since last year, in the Town of Brookhaven alone, there have been 29 cases of drivers fleeing the scene of accidents that resulted in serious injury or death. “How many more people have to die?” Murray wondered out loud. “How many more family, friends, and loved ones have to grieve the loss of their loved ones before lawmakers in Albany take action?”
“Traffic on Long Island roads is very heavy, and unfortunately, there are some irresponsible drivers out there,” said Assemblyman Joseph DeStefano. “Nick’s Law will send a message that if you drive recklessly and put everyone else at risk, there will be consequences.” According to the state reps, the law is part of a larger effort to convince people to slow down and drive safely. “We’re all on the same roads together, along with our families, friends, and neighbors, so let’s take it easy when we get behind the wheel,” DeStefano urged.
“This bill is another in an unfortunate list of common sense amendments to our laws that will make us safer,” said District Attorney Tierney, who has battled the state’s New York City-based leadership over a number of crime bills. “I’m thankful that we live in a county where the citizens are deeply committed to public safety.”
“This is a common-sense bill,” Brookhaven Supervisor Dan Panico summed up. “The town board and the county legislature would have passed this in no time. The state government, however, seems to be more concerned with keeping people out of jail than keeping them in. We who live in the suburbs have to deal with this every day.”
Also attending the event at the Farmingville Fire Department were Senator Tony Palumbo, Suffolk Legislators Nick Caracappa and Dominick Thorne, Town Councilman Neil Manzella, and Sal Russo, a fire district commissioner. In conjunction with the rally, Senator Murray organized a blood drive, pointing out that donated blood was used in an effort to save Nick Puzio’s life.