A Long Island man is set to receive his sentence in a case that left two teenage tennis stars dead after a devastating crash. Amandeep Singh, the 36-year-old man in question, admitted to being under the influence of alcohol and cocaine at the time of the incident, with a blood alcohol level of 0.18 – twice the legal limit. As reported by ABC7 New York, the accident occurred on May 2, 2023, when Singh collided with an Alfa Romeo carrying four teens on Route 106 in Nassau County.
The victims, Drew Hassenbein and Ethan Falkowitz, were both eighth graders from Roslyn Middle School. Remembered for their talents on the tennis court, their lives were cut short on a night that was supposed to be a celebration of their victory in a tennis match. According to information gathered by CBS News New York, the courtroom was filled with supporters, necessitating two additional overflow rooms to accommodate the crowd mourning the loss of the young athletes.
In emotional scenes recounted by both outlets, nine people including the victims' family members gave impact statements during the sentencing. The pain was palpable, as they urged the judge to impose the maximum sentence on Singh, who faces up to 25 years in prison for aggravated vehicular homicide and DWI, as noted by ABC7 New York. "Instead of picking up my son at school, I had to pick him up at the morgue," said Hassenbein's father, underscoring the irreversible consequences of Singh's actions that evening.
"Amandeep Singh is not a man, he's a coward and he's a murderer," declared Zachary Sheena, friend and tennis co-captain, lamenting the life sentence of suffering the crash has imposed upon him. Singh himself also spoke, saying "I would never hurt a child intentionally and yet I did. I apologize from the bottom of my heart for your loss," as mentioned in the statement obtained by ABC7 New York.
Singh initially pleaded not guilty to a 15-count indictment on aggravated vehicular homicide, among other charges, as reported by CBS News New York. He later changed his plea to guilty in January, before the sentencing hearing. This decision followed evidence from police body camera footage showing Singh attempting to flee and hide after the crash. As the community and the victims' families await the sentencing outcome, the reality remains that nothing can reverse the tragedy that unfolded that May night.
