GREENPORT—The man who was driving the pickup truck that crashed and burned on Church Road, December 27 resulting in the death of Scott A. Fenoff, 40, of Livingston will be charged with felony second degree vehicular manslaughter by State Police.
A Greenport Town Justice signed a warrant authorizing the arrest of Nicholas C. Howard, 20, of Livingston, the driver, who is currently in the Columbia County Jail after a strange turn of events following the crash.
State Police from Livingston were called to the scene of a one-vehicle crash on Church Road in the vicinity of Gardner Road at about 2:30 a.m., Friday.
Their preliminary investigation revealed that a 2001 Ford F-150 pickup truck was traveling west on Church Road when the operator, Mr. Howard lost control of the truck which went off the south shoulder of the road. The truck rolled over several times before becoming engulfed in flames. Police believe that speed played a factor in the crash.
Mr. Fenoff, a passenger in the pickup, was ejected from the vehicle and died of injuries he suffered in the crash.
Mr. Howard was taken to the Albany Medical Center for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.
After Mr. Howard was discharged from AMC Friday, he was interviewed by police about his role in the fatal crash. No charges were filed at that time and he was released to his family pending the outcome of the crash investigation, State Police said in a press release Saturday, December 28.
Sometime later, troopers saw Mr. Howard operating a motor vehicle in the area of the crash scene on Church Road. Troopers interviewed him and discovered he was driving the vehicle in an intoxicated condition.
He provided a breath sample which yielded a blood alcohol content of .09%. Mr. Howard was arraigned in Livingston Court on a driving while intoxicated charge and committed to the Columbia County Jail in lieu of $10,000 cash bail. The vehicular manslaughter warrant has been lodged at the jail. Mr. Howard is due to appear in Greenport Court January 13.
The accident was reconstructed by the State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit. The State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation in Livingston and uniform members continue to investigate the crash.
