Suffolk County D.A.: Wading River man sentenced to 8 to 16 years for aggravated vehicular homicide

George Hackett Pleaded Guilty in March to Speeding While Impaired by Drugs When He Caused a Fatal Two-Car Crash and Then Fled the Scene

Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced on April 29 that George Hackett, 54, of Wading River, was sentenced to eight to 16 years in prison after pleading guilty in March to Aggravated Vehicular Homicide, and other related charges, for his involvement in the June 2023 high-speed crash on Sunrise Highway in East Quogue that caused the death of Franklin Blake, 82, of Queens.

“Today’s sentencing is just, but it can never heal the tragic loss of the Blake family,” said District Attorney Tierney. “The defendant’s reckless decision to drive at excessive speed showed a complete disregard for human life and safety. Our office will continue to vigorously prosecute those who endanger public safety on our roadways.”

According to court documents and the defendant’s admissions during his guilty plea allocution, on June 8, 2023, at approximately 3:30 a.m., Hackett was under the influence of a combination of THC, a compound that is the main active ingredient of cannabis, and Xanax while driving a black 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe eastbound on Sunrise Highway in East Quogue.

Hackett was driving between Exits 64 and 65 at speeds up to 113 miles per hour when he struck the rear end of a 2010 Nissan Armada operated by the victim, Franklin Blake. Blake’s car was thrown into the woods, and Blake died as a result of the injuries that he sustained in the crash.

Hackett’s vehicle rolled over but landed upright, and he continued driving eastbound on Sunrise Highway until his car broke down less than a mile east of the crash site. Hackett was found more than a mile away from his vehicle, walking on Route 24 in Flanders away from the crash scene. At the time of the crash, Hackett was on parole for Assault in the First Degree. He had three prior Driving While Intoxicated convictions, once in 1995 and twice in 2016.

On March 28, 2025, Hackett pleaded guilty before Acting Supreme Court Justice Steven A. Pilewski to the following charges:

•   Aggravated Vehicular Homicide, a Class B felony;
•   Manslaughter in the Second Degree, a Class C felony;
•   Leaving the Scene of an Incident Without Reporting, a Class D felony;
•   Assault in the Second Degree, a Class D violent felony;
•   Driving While Impaired by the Combined Influence of Drugs, a Class D felony;
•   Two counts of Driving While Impaired by Drugs, a Class D felonies; and
•   Reckless Driving, an unclassified misdemeanor.

  On April 29, 2025, Justice Pilewski sentenced Hackett to eight to 16 years in prison. The District Attorney’s Office recommended that the defendant be sentenced 12 1⁄2 to 25 years in prison, the maximum sentence on the top count of the indictment. He was represented by Ian Fitzgerald, Esq.

  This case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Raymond Varuolo and James McCormack of the Vehicular Crime Bureau, and the investigation was conducted by Investigator Michael Milbauer of the New York State Police.