RIVERHEAD, N.Y. (AP) — Prosecutors say a New York City firefighter drove drunk in the wrong direction before crashing into a car driven by a high school teacher, killing him instantly. Firefighter Joseph Norris pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges including aggravated vehicular homicide in the Nov. 20, 2020, death of 44-year-old teacher Anthony Mariano. Prosecutors say Norris drove south in the northbound lanes of the Sunken Meadow Parkway on Long Island and crashed into Mariano’s sport-utility vehicle. Mariano was pronounced dead at the scene. Newsday reports that defense attorney Anthony LaPinta called Norris a “terrific family guy.”
Photo: Suffolk County Court House in Riverhead, October 31, 2020. By Brett Levine IMG 3440
