DA files murder charges in fatal wrong-way crash

(AP) - A grand jury has filed a rare murder chargeagainst a Long Island man who police say was drunk when he drovethe wrong way down a Long Island parkway into a fatal head-on crashwith another driver.

News 12 Staff

Feb 4, 2008, 8:12 PM

Updated 6,156 days ago

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(AP) - A grand jury has filed a rare murder chargeagainst a Long Island man who police say was drunk when he drovethe wrong way down a Long Island parkway into a fatal head-on crashwith another driver.
Franklin McPherson, of Deer Park, was ordered held without bailafter his arraignment today on a 10-count indictment that chargeshim with second-degree murder as well as drunken driving. He's dueback in court on February 26.
McPherson's attorney, Dennis Lemke, said the murder charge isinappropriate and predicted an appeals court will have to rule onthe charge.
Prosecutors say early last October, police received several 911calls that a Lexus was driving the wrong way westbound down theSouthern State Parkway. McPherson's vehicle collided head-on into aJeep Cherokee driven by 44-year-old Leslie Burgess of Amityville,killing him.