Guilty plea in charge related to boy’s death

Austin Soldano to be sentenced on Jan. 5

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The driver who fatally struck Valley Stream 12-year-old Zachary Ranftle last December pleaded guilty in Nassau County Court on Friday to driving with a suspended license and to the charge that prompted the suspension, an August 2014 stop for driving while intoxicated in Long Beach.

Austin Soldano, 30, of Seaford, pleaded guilty to second-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle to Judge Angelo A. Delligatti, who is expected to sentence Soldano on Jan. 5 to one year for the DWI charge and six months for driving with a suspended license in the incident that took Ranftle’s life. The sentences would run consecutively.

Under the plea deal, Soldano would also serve five years’ probation, during which he would be required to use an ignition interlock device on his vehicle. His license would also be revoked for one year, and its renewal would be subject to a DMV fatality hearing, which is mandated for cases in which a person causes a fatal collision.

For the August 2014 incident, Soldano pleaded guilty to operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, reckless driving, failure to stop at an intersection and resisting arrest.

The suspended license charge is an unclassified misdemeanor. Six months is the maximum penalty allowed by law.

Acting District Attorney Madeline Singas has called for tougher penalties for drivers with suspended or revoked licenses who seriously injure or kill others. Her office authored legislation that would make an offense resulting in serious injury a felony, punishable by up to one-and-a-third to four years in prison, and an offense resulting in death punishable by up to two-and-a-third to seven years. The bill was sponsored by Sen. Jack Martins and Assemblymen Todd Kaminsky and David McDonough. Singas reiterated her position on Friday.

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