NORTH BABYLON, NY – A Lindenhurst man who drove approximately 121 mph and recorded himself on his cellphone before causing a crash that killed a West Babylon man has been sentenced to four to 12 years in prison, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office.
Felix Pantaleon, 24, was sentenced October 23, 2026, following his guilty plea to manslaughter, assault and reckless driving charges. His driver’s license was also ordered revoked.
The crash occurred September 22, 2024, at approximately 10:30 p.m. on the westbound Southern State Parkway in North Babylon.
According to court documents and admissions Pantaleon made during his guilty plea, he was driving a 2014 Honda Civic, cutting off other vehicles and weaving between lanes before striking the rear of a 2009 Honda CR-V driven by Reynaldo Collado, 49, of West Babylon.
Data recovered from the Civic’s event data recorder showed Pantaleon traveling at approximately 121 mph, prosecutors said. Investigators also determined that he had used his cellphone to record himself driving recklessly shortly before the collision.
The impact sent both vehicles off the parkway and into wooded areas. Collado was pronounced dead at the scene.
One passenger in Collado’s vehicle suffered serious injuries, including a fractured vertebra and pelvis. Three other occupants were treated at local hospitals for various injuries, according to prosecutors.
- “Driving at 121 mph is not a mistake. It is a deliberate choice,” District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney said.
On September 4, 2026, Pantaleon pleaded guilty before Supreme Court Justice Steven A. Pilewski to second-degree manslaughter, second-degree assault, three counts of third-degree assault and reckless driving.
| Key Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Defendant | Felix Pantaleon, 24, of Lindenhurst |
| Sentence | Four to 12 years in prison |
| Sentencing date | October 23, 2026 |
| Victim killed | Reynaldo Collado, 49, of West Babylon |
| Other victims | Four people injured, including one passenger who suffered a fractured vertebra and pelvis |
| Crash date | September 22, 2024, at approximately 10:30 p.m. |
| Location | Westbound Southern State Parkway in North Babylon |
| Speed | Approximately 121 mph, according to the vehicle’s event data recorder |
| Cellphone use | Investigators determined Pantaleon recorded himself driving recklessly shortly before the crash. |
| Charges admitted | Second-degree manslaughter, second-degree assault, three counts of third-degree assault and reckless driving |
| Guilty plea | September 4, 2026, before Supreme Court Justice Steven A. Pilewski |
| License penalty | Driver’s license ordered revoked |
Source: Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office.
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