Riverhead, NY – A Brooklyn man has been convicted in connection with a 2024 illegal car stunt event on Long Island that left a 19-year-old woman seriously injured, Suffolk County prosecutors announced Thursday.
Matthew Mitchell, 20, pleaded guilty to assault and multiple related charges stemming from a reckless driving incident that occurred during a large street takeover in Patchogue.
Prosecutors said Mitchell struck the victim with his car while attempting to perform high-speed stunts in a crowded parking lot.
Illegal “takeover” turned dangerous
According to court documents, the crash happened around 1:15 a.m. on October 6, 2024, at the Gateway Plaza shopping center, where dozens of vehicles and spectators had gathered to perform and record dangerous maneuvers such as “doughnuts” and drifting.
Video posted on social media captured the moment Mitchell’s white Infiniti sideswiped the 19-year-old woman, sending her to the ground. He fled before police arrived. The victim was later taken to a hospital by a friend and treated for a fractured femur and pelvis.
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Arrest and prior license violations
Detectives from the Suffolk County Police Department’s Fifth Squad used social media footage to identify Mitchell. With help from the NYPD, he was arrested in Brooklyn on October 15, 2024. A review of his driving record showed his license had been revoked and suspended on six separate occasions.
Guilty plea and pending sentence
Mitchell pleaded guilty before Acting Supreme Court Justice Steven A. Pilewski to assault in the second degree, leaving the scene of an incident without reporting, reckless endangerment, aggravated unlicensed operation, and reckless driving. He faces a sentence of two years in jail when he returns to court on January 22.
District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney said the conviction sends a strong warning to drivers who participate in illegal street takeovers. “Street racing and stunt driving may seem like fun to participants, but the consequences can be devastating,” Tierney said. “Bystanders can be seriously injured or killed, and drivers will end up in prison for the harm they cause.”
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