Freeport man indicted after slamming into postal worker while high on oxy and cocaine
Mineola, NY – A Long Island man accused of being high on oxycodone and cocaine when he plowed into a U.S. postal worker on Merrick Road has been indicted for a violent crash that left the victim seriously injured and out of work, prosecutors said Thursday.
Jeffrey Butt, 45, of Freeport, was allegedly behind the wheel of a Chevy Trax when he veered onto the shoulder near a post office in the mid-morning hours of October 10 and crushed a 50-year-old mail carrier as he loaded letters into his truck. The force of the impact also sent the mail truck barreling into two parked cars, Nassau County prosecutors said.
The victim, a husband and father who had been on the job just a year, suffered a shattered femur, spinal fractures, a broken ankle, and internal bleeding that required multiple blood transfusions. He now walks with crutches.
Police found Butt still sitting in the driver’s seat with his foot on the gas pedal when they arrived. Inside the vehicle, officers spotted a glassine envelope, a metal spoon, white powder, a straw, and multiple pills. Tests later confirmed the presence of cocaine and oxycodone both in the vehicle and in the driver’s blood.
Butt was arraigned Thursday on a slew of charges including assault, vehicular assault, reckless driving, drug possession, and driving under the influence of drugs. He pleaded not guilty and remains held on $200,000 cash bail.
If convicted, he faces up to 7 years in prison.
The victim remains unable to work more than three months after the incident. The case is being prosecuted by the Nassau County DA’s Vehicular Crimes Bureau.
Key Points
- A Freeport man was indicted after allegedly driving high and seriously injuring a U.S. postal worker in a crash
- The victim suffered multiple fractures and internal injuries and is still recovering
- Police found drugs in the vehicle and in the driver’s system following the crash
