East Meadow Man Acquitted of Manslaughter

A jury has acquitted an East Meadow man of manslaughter stemming from a three-car crash in 2011 that killed an off-duty New York City police officer from Massapequa.

Jonathan Lopez, 22, was convicted of the lesser charges against him, including assault, reckless driving and reckless endangerment. He faces up to one year in jail and is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 16. If convicted of the felony Lopez faced up to 15 years in prison.

“We respect the jury’s careful and lengthy deliberations in this difficult case," Shams Tarek, communications director for District Attorney Kathleen Rice, said. "Street racing endangers everyone on the road and its seriousness is reflected in the jury’s guilty verdicts.”

In September 2011, Kevin Jessup, 25, was driving a Nissan Maxima east of the Bethpage Parkway when he was struck by another Nissan driven by Lopez, who also rear ended a third vehicle, according to New York State Police.

Jessup and a passenger were transported to Nassau University Medical Center where Jessup was pronounced dead, police said. The passenger in Jessup's vehicle was admitted for non-life threatening injuries. Lopez and the driver of the second car, Dawn Smallwood, were treated and released from area hospitals.

Nassau prosecutors argued Jessup and Lopez were racing before the crash.

After the verdict Lopez apologized to everyone involved in what he described as a "big mishap," according to a Newsday report.