Suffolk officials push for drugs, alcohol to carry same penalty when it comes to impaired driving
SUFFOLK COUNTY, New York (WABC) -- Suffolk County is cracking down on drunk and drugged driving, and part of that effort involves trying to change a law in the state.
"He always said, 'I love you.' I miss him so much," Timothy Carpenter, Jr's parents said.
For Timothy and Andrea Carpenter, this is their new life.
"I come every day, twice a day, a few times a day. I come and hang out with him," said Timothy Carpenter, Sr., Timothy, Jr's father.
"We come here for the holidays. We make dinner and come here and sit and eat with him," said Andrea Carpenter, Timothy Carpenter, Jr.'s mother.
Their only child, 22-year-old Timothy, Jr., was a Stony Brook University senior. He was killed in Centereach in March of 2023 by a driver who was under the influence of drugs.
"The thing about vehicular crimes, is that the victims are so random and so innocent," said Maureen McCormick, Suffolk County District Attorney's Office Vehicular Crimes Prosecutor.
McCormick was the first Vehicular Crimes Bureau Chief in New York City.
She now leads the Vehicular Crimes Unit in the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office.
"Everyone has sympathy for the overdose epidemic that's occurring in this country and in this state, but you can't get in the car. You cannot risk other people's lives. You know when you're using, you can't get in the car," she said.
McCormick says since 2018, drugged driving deaths statewide are up 35%.
"I think it's very alarming," said Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney.
Tierney wants to change the laws.
"What we're proposing is let's treat drugs and alcohol the same," he said.
Under New York State law, an impaired driver can only be charged if the officer can name the drug they are on.
"That's just wrong. It's just wrong. How are we stopping Timothy Carpenter from being killed if the guy who killed him can't be prosecuted unless you name what he's on," McCormick said.
New York also requires the named drug to be on a public health list in order to charge the driver with DUI.
"How does that protect anybody?" she said. "It doesn't. It can't."
The list is not consistently updated, as some synthetic drugs have changed.
Suffolk County police tell Eyewitness News that some of the more recent drugs are not on the list.
"Whippets, nitrous oxide, that cannot be charged for driving while intoxicated," an officer said.
Suffolk prosecutors say since 2013, fatalities where they tested and found at least one drug on the public health law list are up 87%.
"We wanted to talk with our legislators and say don't ignore this problem," Tierney said.
A coalition of advocates, now including the Carpenters, have been pushing for the deadly driving bill to pass.
It failed for 17 consecutive years.
Eyewitness News Reporter Chantee Lans took their concerns to Governor Kathy Hochul.
"If it makes it to your desk this session, would you sign it and why?" Lans asked.
"That will be another whole year from now and it is disappointing that there are legislative solutions that we must be embracing to keep people safe on our roads," Hochul said.
"The only reason I get up every day is to try and change something, to try and change this law. This law is ridiculous and everybody knows it," Timothy Carpenter, Sr. said.
"Let's work through it and bring something closer to justice for people," McCormick said.
New York is only one of four states with similar drugged driving laws.
The NTSB sent a letter to New York recommending for safety reasons that it stop using the Public Health Law List.
The latest deadly driving bill never made it to the governor's desk this past spring.
RELATED: Riding along with Suffolk County police as they crack down on drunk and impaired driving
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