SINDONE SENTENCED FOR DEADLY DUI WRECK

DA’S PRESS RELEASE

Rockland County District Attorney Thomas P. Zugibe announced last week that 24-year-old Matthew Sindone of Nanuet was sentenced to an indeterminate term of four to 12 years in state prison on his guilty plea to one count of aggravated vehicular homicide, a class “B” felony, relating to the deaths of Neil Block and his wife Aline Block of New City.

“No amount of words can undo the damage or pain that this defendant has caused,” said District Attorney Zugibe. “Hopefully, the lengthy prison sentence imposed today will give some measure of solace to the victim’s family and will serve as a measure of justice for two senseless deaths.”

On June 4, 2017 at approximately 5:12 p.m., Sindone, while recklessly operating a Lincoln MKT, collided with a Toyota Camry after running through a red light at the intersection of Route 304 and Goebel Road in New City.

First responders pronounced Neil Block dead at the scene of the collision. Aline Block was declared dead after being extricated from the mangled Toyota.

The defendant suffered cuts to his head and was taken to Nyack Hospital, where Town of Clarkstown police officers recovered Xanax from his pocket.

Sindone admitted to using Xanax and Klonopin in the hours before the fatal crash. A subsequent analysis of the defendant’s blood revealed 1500 ng/mL of Xanax, an incredibly high amount indicative of the level of the defendant’s impairment at the time.

First Assistant District Attorney James Mellion and Senior Assistant District Attorney Michael Dugandzic prosecuted the case.

  crime, DUI, fatal DUI, Matthew Sindone, Rockland crime, Rockland District Attorney’s Office