Driver in fatal crash gets 1 year
Lentini admits to leaving scene of ’15 accident that killed Clifton Park man
A judge sentenced Maria Lentini to one year in the Saratoga County jail as she tearfully apologized and recalled her frantic state of mind on the night in 2015 she left the scene of a deadly crash.
“I just want you to know that the hurt and sorrow that I live with every day because of this accident is something that is going to stay with me the rest of my life,” a sobbing Lentini, 34, told County Judge James A. Murphy III on Tuesday. “Saying ‘sorry,’ in my opinion, doesn’t cover it.”
“I’m not a monster,” Lentini told Murphy.
Lentini pleaded guilty in July to leaving the scene of a personal injury accident Dec. 6, 2015, on Kinns Road in Halfmoon. It took the life of 30-year-old Patrick Duff of Clifton Park.
The g uilty plea followed a nearly four-year legal saga in which Lentini won an appeal and Saratoga County District Attorney Karen Heggen’s of fice was disqualified from the case. Two prosecutors who worked on the case later resig ned.
On Tuesday, Lentini’s family was in attendance, as was Saratoga County Sheriff Michael Zurlo and several of his investigators and officers.
Lentini addressed the judge before and after being sentenced. She conferred with her attorneys, James Knox and Julie Nociolo, before speaking.
Lentini said she had waited nearly four years to spea k about the case.
She said she did the best she could on the night of the crash, but could not prepare for what happened. Lentini explained she had been in “shock, and emotional and confused and scared” and failed to properly handle the situation.
She said she took responsibilit y for her actions.
“I don’t want anyone to ever experience what I did that night. If I could ta ke it all back, I would,” Lentini told the judge. “All of this does not ta ke away the life that was lost and the hurt that comes with that ... and I know none of my words will do that. But it is important that you understand how sorr y I am for all of it.”
Prosecutors said Lentini left Duff impaled on the windshield of her BMW — then made 17 cellphone calls to friends, but none to 911.
Authorities learned of the crash more than an hour later when Lentini’s sister called them.
Murphy told Lentini he appreciated her remorse, which he said he found sincere. He then imposed the sentence — but their exchange was not over.
“It has been four years, and a lot has transpired and I haven’t been able to speak myself,” Lentini said after asking to speak again. “After all of this, it ’s important that people know who I really am. I’m not a bad person.
“I had no intention of doing any thing at that time but getting help the best way I could, the best way in my state of mind I could. That was my only intention. I just want you to know that. It wasn’t obviously to the right people.”
In November 2016, af ter her jur y conviction, Murphy sentenced Lentini to 16 months to 4 years in prison. She remained free on appeal, which she won.
In July 2018, the Appellate Division’s Third Department ruled Murphy should have declared a mistrial af ter t wo witnesses at tria l made references to Lentini’s desire to spea k to a law yer on the night of the crash. It was considered potentially prejudicia l testimony.
A retrial was scheduled, but Murphy — the former district attorney of Saratoga County for 17 years — removed his former office from the case over what he termed “malfeasance.” Prosecutors failed to provide information to the defense from a potential witness who stood to benefit from his cooperation, the judge said.
Lee Kindlon, a local defense attorney who was a militar y prosecutor in the Marines, was named specia l prosecutor.
When asked about Lentini’s comments Tuesday, Kindlon said he understands as a defense law yer why she wanted to explain herself.
Kindlon said Lentini “toed close to the line of undoing her g uilt,” but the judge was able to reaffirm she pleaded g uilty for a specific reason. He said he believed she was remorsef ul.
“Sometimes people say one or two things too much,” Kindlon said.