DA: Medford Man's Arraignment In E. Patchogue Crash Wednesday

A Medford man who in April allegedly drove a pickup truck that ran a red light and broadsided another car, killing a 71-year-old E. Patchogue woman inside, is being arraigned Wednesday at First District Court in Central Islip, Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota announced Wednesday.

According to police in April, Justin Klein, 23, was driving a 2006 Chevrolet commercial pickup traveling south on Sills Road in East Patchogue around 5:45 p.m., when a 2004 Chevrolet Classic driven by Camille Ricciardo, 71, struck the pickup. Ricciardo was pronounced dead at the scene, and Klein was taken to Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center in East Patchogue for non-life-threatening injuries. The DA said in Wednesday's announcement that Klein reportedly blew the light at Gazzola Drive, crashing into the victim's vehicle.

Klein was charged by police with driving while ability impaired by drugs and criminal possession of controlled substance in the seventh degree.

According to Spota, Klein possessed heroin at the time of his arrest.

"The investigation by our Vehicular Crimes Bureau established the facts of this crime and the evidence was consequently presented to a grand jury resulting in an indictment of the truck driver," Spota said in a release.

The indictment is being unsealed by State Supreme Court Justice Fernando Camacho, and Klein is incarcerated in the Suffolk County Jail in lieu of $75,000 cash bail, according to the DA.

Klein was reported by police as being employed by 84 Lumber.