Indictment Of Man Charged In LIE Death After Leaving Patchogue

Written by Matthew McGevna.

Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota recently announced the indictment of a Lake Grove man for allegedly driving drunk when he fatally struck a Lake Ronkonkoma pedestrian after leaving The Emporium in Patchogue back in March.

According to the DA's office, Thomas Vaughan, 42, left a bar in Patchogue on March 24 and was traveling westbound on Express Drive North at around 2:30 a.m. when he hit Gary Kroll, 59, of Lake Ronkonkoma. 

At the time of the incident Vaughan told police "someone came out of nowhere into the road” and stepped into the path of his Chevy Trailblazer. Kroll was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to Spota, the Vehicular Crimes Bureau presented the results of its investigation to a grand jury, which resulted in Vaughan's indictment on six criminal counts. The sealed indictment will be unsealed today by State Supreme Court Justice Fernando Camacho in Central Islip. 

*A criminal charge is an accusation.  A defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.