Slay charge in hit-run that killed Samaritan

A hit-and-run driver who killed a big-hearted Long Island man as he tried to help a motorist stranded on the side of the road outside Kennedy Airport was formally charged with criminally negligent homicide Thursday, authorities said.

Kevin Drawhorne, 27, of Jamaica, Queens, is accused of hitting and killing Michael Agurkis, 51, and injuring another driver who had broken down near the airport Jan. 29, the Queens district attorney’s office said.

Drawhorne pleaded not guilty to the charges at arraignment Thursday in Queens Supreme Court, and remained jailed Thursday night on $75,000 bail.

Agurkis, of East Atlantic Beach, pulled over on the eastbound side of the Nassau Expressway near N. Hangar Road in

Springfield Gardens about 8:20 p.m. when he saw a stalled Dodge Caravan, cops said.

As he and the 53-yearold Dodge owner stood in front of the vehicle trying to figure out what was wrong with the engine, Drawhorne — driving at 70 mph — slammed his 2012 Ford E-350 van into the minivan and the two men, cops said.

Agurkis was struck square in the chest. Medics rushed him to Jamaica Hospital, but he couldn’t be saved.

The owner of the Dodge survived the crash with minor injuries.

Instead of stopping to tend to the victims or calling police, Drawhorne fled the scene, authorities said. Cops later found the wrecked Ford van abandoned, authorities said.

“A man who was doing a good deed — helping another driver with car trouble — was senselessly killed by another motorist allegedly driving at a high rate of speed,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said in a statement.

“He did not call 911. He did not stop to help. This kind of behavior is not only callous, but also criminal and the defendant now faces serious charges.”

Besides the criminally negligent homicide charge, Drawhorne is charged with leaving the scene of an accident, driving without a license and speeding.

He returns to court March 16. If convicted, Drawhorne faces up to seven years in prison, authorities said.

“The simplicity of doing the right thing, if more people did that the world would be a better place,” Amanda Agurkis, 27, the dead man’s daughter, tearfully told the Daily News after the crash.

“Please let’s just try to bring justice to his memory,” she said.

It’s only Spring Training but it is baseball! And it’s back. And it’s on TV.

The Mets host the Marlins on Sunday and it’ll be good to have the Boys of Summer back on the small screen after such a long, snowy and depressing winter. Again, another step toward normalcy.

It’s also a chance to check out the new-look Mets, who have a new shortstop, a new catcher and some new arms.

They also hope they have a renewed Pete Alonso (pictured), who was not at his best during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. His struggles had a lot to do with the Mets missing out on the playoffs, something few expect them to do again this season.

With Francisco Lindor at short and James McCann at the plate, the Mets are loaded. Now they just have to get the job done on the field.

It’ll be good to be able to watch them begin their pursuit – wherever it takes them.