Man arrested in Freeport last July is indicted in fatal crash

Corey Henson, 32, of Centereach has been indicted on charges that he struck and killed 30-year-old Dodanim Emanuel Chavez, of Island Park, while driving drunk last July 11, and fled the scene.

Henson was arraigned May 3 before Judge Christopher Hoefenkrieg on charges of manslaughter, vehicular manslaughter, leaving the scene of an incident resulting in death, assault and driving while intoxicated, which is an unclassified misdemeanor. He pleaded not guilty; bail was set, and his license was suspended. He is due back in court on June 1, and if convicted, he could face seven to 22 years in prison.

A press release from Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly’s office states that just after 9 p.m. on July 11, Chavez was moving belongings from his home to a new home with the help of two friends. While standing on the driver’s side of his friend’s pickup truck on Long Beach Road in Island Park, Chavez was struck by Henson’s van, and Henson drove away.

Chavez, who had severe head trauma, was sent to Mount Sinai South Nassau hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

According to the charges, Henson continued driving after the collision, and crashed into a guardrail on South Main Street in Freeport. His van was towed to a local yard. The following day, a Freeport police officer contacted the Nassau County Police Department about the van when he learned of the fatal hit-and-run collision. Henson was arrested on July 13 by members of the NCPD and Freeport Police Department when he arrived at the tow yard to claim the van, according to the charges.

“I’m glad that the detective work of Nassau County was able to find the individual who was involved in this type of criminal act,” Freeport Mayor Robert Kennedy said.

A subsequent investigation revealed that prior to the collision, Henson allegedly drank multiple alcoholic beverages over the course of two hours before driving his vehicle, and was intoxicated when he struck Chavez.

“Sadly, not all hit-and-run investigations end with a defendant in custody,” Donnelly said in the release, “However, through the collaborative efforts of my office, the Nassau County Police Department Homicide Squad, and the Freeport Police Department, we were able to retrace the defendant’s alleged movements and piece together the series of events that led to Mr. Chavez’s tragic death.”

According to Officer Short of the Nassau County’s Police Department’s 4th Precinct, incidents that result from reckless driving are a common occurrence in the area.

“This happens a lot around Nassau County,” Short said. “I mean, any time something like that happens and someone dies, it definitely gets passed up to the squad and then they take that over. I hope to see this kind of thing less in the future in the county.”