Father Admits Giving Teen Son Vodka Before Bentley Crash That Killed Slingshot Driver

MASSAPEQUA, N.Y. – A Bay Shore father and son have pleaded guilty in connection with a drunken driving crash that claimed the life of a Slingshot driver and left his wife seriously injured on Sunrise Highway in Massapequa last year.

According to the Nassau County District Attorney's Office, 20-year-old Brian August pleaded guilty Thursday to aggravated vehicular homicide, manslaughter, assault, and aggravated driving while intoxicated. His father, 43-year-old Brian Kitchen, pleaded guilty to reckless endangerment after admitting he provided his then-19-year-old son with vodka before the fatal crash.

Prosecutors said that on the night of April 19, 2025, Kitchen gave his son multiple shots of vodka while the two were together inside a 2023 Bentley SUV. Authorities said August later drove eastbound on Sunrise Highway and stopped at a red light in the left-turn lane at Unqua Road before suddenly cutting across multiple lanes of traffic in an attempt to make a right turn.

The Bentley slammed into a Polaris Slingshot, sending the three-wheeled motorcycle into a Kia SUV and a nearby utility pole.

The Slingshot's driver, 48-year-old Willie Singleton, was ejected from the vehicle and transported to a local hospital, where he later died from his injuries despite extensive lifesaving efforts by first responders. His wife, who was riding as a passenger, suffered severe injuries to her hips and legs, requiring emergency surgery and the implantation of a metal rod. Prosecutors said she now frequently relies on a wheelchair or walker.

The Kia SUV involved in the crash was occupied by four children and two adults. None of its occupants were injured.

Police arrested August at the scene. Investigators later determined his blood-alcohol concentration measured approximately .20 percent—more than twice New York's legal limit—when a blood sample was taken about four hours after the collision.

Authorities also recovered a 1.75-liter bottle of vodka and numerous empty 50-milliliter vodka bottles from inside the Bentley. Prosecutors said the investigation revealed August had consumed shot after shot of vodka before getting behind the wheel, with some of the alcohol provided by his father.

August is scheduled to return to court on Sept. 24 for sentencing. He faces a potential prison sentence of 4½ to 12 years, although prosecutors have recommended a sentence of seven to 15 years.

Kitchen is expected to be sentenced to one year in jail.