By Doug Miller
Nassau County District Attorney Denis Dillon announced last week that a grand jury had formally charged Heidgen, 24, of 14 Oceanview Ave., Valley Stream, with two counts of second-degree murder - classified as causing death by showing depraved indifference - a class A felony, three counts of first-degree assault, a class B violent felony, two counts of first-degree reckless endangerment, a class D felony, and two counts of DWI, an unclassified misdemeanor.
At the time of Heidgen's arrest, he was charged with two counts of second-degree manslaughter, a class C felony; DWI and reckless driving, unclassified misdemeanors; and a violation of divided and controlled-access highways. On July 14, Dillon upgraded the original charges to include two counts of second-degree murder (depraved indifference), a class A felony, and DWI.
A spokesman for Katie Flynn's family did not return calls for comment.
According to Dillon, "Heidgen was driving the wrong way on the Meadowbrook Parkway, operating a 1999 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck, heading north on the southbound side of the Meadowbrook. While traveling in the wrong direction, Heidgen collided head-on with a limousine, killing 7-year-old Katherine Flynn from Long Beach and limo driver Stanley Rabinowitz, 59, of Farmingdale. Heidgen's blood alcohol level was determined to be .28 shortly after the accident. That is three and a half times the legal limit.
The three counts of assault in the first degree that Heidgen is charged with relate to victims Christopher Tangney, Katie's grandfather, Denise Tangney, her grandmother and Neil Flynn, her father, who were seriously injured as a result of this tragic accident," said Dillon. "The two counts of reckless endangerment in the first degree relate to two separate drivers that Heidgen passed, forcing them off the road, just prior to the accident that claimed the life of two people. When Heidgen passed these drivers he was in the Southbound center lane of the Meadowbrook Parkway heading northbound.
"The aggravating factors in this case, such as the driving on the wrong side of the Meadowbrook and the high blood alcohol level, support the murder in the second degree charges," said Dillon. "A person is guilty of murder in the second degree when, under circumstances evincing a depraved indifference to human life, he recklessly engages in conduct which creates a grave risk of death to another person, and thereby causes the death of another person."
Heidgen will be arraigned on Friday by Nassau County Court Judge Alan Honorof in Mineola. If convicted of the charges, he faces a maximum of 25 years to life in prison.
Comments about this story? DMiller@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 213.
