Riverhead, NY – Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced Thursday that Matthew Mitchell, 20, of Brooklyn, has been sentenced to two years in jail for a reckless and illegal car stunt that left a 19-year-old woman seriously injured during an unsanctioned street takeover in Patchogue in October 2024.
According to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, Mitchell pleaded guilty in December to assault, reckless driving, and related charges for striking the victim with his white Infiniti while performing amateur stunts in the Gateway Plaza parking lot around 1:15 a.m. on October 6, 2024. Witnesses said dozens of vehicles and spectators had gathered to watch cars perform “doughnuts” and drifting maneuvers.
Prosecutors said Mitchell’s vehicle hit the woman on the side, fracturing her pelvis and femur, before fleeing the scene. Investigators later discovered that Mitchell’s driver’s license had been revoked and suspended six times on separate occasions. He was arrested on October 15, 2024, with assistance from the New York City Police Department.
District Attorney Tierney condemned the growing trend of illegal car gatherings, saying they pose a serious threat to public safety. “We will not tolerate illegal street takeovers in Suffolk County,” Tierney said. “This two-year jail sentence for seriously injuring a bystander should deter anyone who thinks participating in these dangerous events is harmless entertainment.”
Mitchell pleaded guilty on December 11, 2025, before Acting Supreme Court Justice Steven A. Pilewski to assault in the second degree, leaving the scene of an incident without reporting, reckless endangerment in the second degree, aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle in the second degree, and reckless driving.
Key Points: Brooklyn man sentenced to two years for illegal car stunt that injured bystander in Patchogue – Riverhead
- Matthew Mitchell, 20, of Brooklyn, was sentenced to two years in jail for an illegal car stunt that injured a 19-year-old woman in Patchogue.
- Prosecutors said Mitchell fled the scene after striking the victim and was later found to have a revoked and repeatedly suspended license.
- District Attorney Tierney said the case underscores the county’s commitment to ending dangerous street takeover events.