Mattituck man sentenced in hit-and-run death of beloved Kings Park teacher
Keith Clancy, 33, pleaded guilty to the top charge of aggravated vehicular homicide, as well as second-degree manslaughter, leaving the scene of the crash and operating a motor vehicle under the influence of drugs.
News 12 Staff
•
Nov 19, 2020, 9:44 PM
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Updated 1,253 days ago
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By Bob Doda, News 12 Digital
A Mattituck man was sentenced Thursday morning to 5 1/2 to
16 1/2 years in prison after pleading guilty last month in the hit-and-run death of
Michael McDermott, a beloved teacher in Kings Park and father to three
young children.
Keith Clancy, 33, pleaded guilty to the top charge of
aggravated vehicular homicide, as well as second-degree manslaughter, leaving
the scene of the crash and operating a motor vehicle under the influence of
drugs.
On July 14, 2019, McDermott,
of Smithtown, was jogging through St. James on Lake Avenue near Oak Street when
prosecutors said Clancy ran a stop sign, crossed into the opposite lane and
struck him head on.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Clancy was eventually stopped by police and taken into
custody near Exit 69 on the Long Island Expressway approximately 25 miles away.
He had left parts of his vehicle at the crash scene and had a large hole in his
windshield at the time of his arrest.
According to Assistant District
Attorney James Curtin, police found fentanyl in
Clancy’s car, and suboxone — a drug used to treat narcotics addicts — inside a sock in the back seat. Curtin said he also had previous DWI
convictions.
Clancy originally pleaded not guilty to an 11-count
indictment, but reversed his plea in October.
McDermott, 37, was a husband, the oldest of five brothers, a father of three and a teacher at William T. Rogers Middle School. He was remembered by
his brother, Tom, as being “authentically
extra” while eulogizing him last summer.
“When
I say ‘authentically extra’, I mean he lived every moment of his 37 years
joyfully, effusively, energetically, and unapologetically in a way that was
100% genuine to who he was,” he said.
He
was also a passionate Mets, Islanders and Giants fan.
The JV baseball field at Kings Park High School was renovated and renamed for Michael McDermott. Photo: Bob Doda
Before sentencing, McDermott’s mother, father and father-in-law made victim
impact statements for those inside the Central Islip courtroom and many who
watched along virtually.
Marietta McDermott said there “are no words that can
describe the devastation” of her son’s loss.
“We are forever changed by this huge loss. And as his mom,
my heart literally aches,” she said.
She said the “legal system failed us by sending a drug
addict back into society without proper help.”
Steven McDermott, his father, called July 14, 2019 “the
worst day of my life” and described having to break the news to his sons about
Michael’s death while they were vacationing in Ireland. McDermott had also been on the trip before returning early to be
with his family.
“The pain in the loss of this beautiful person…is
indescribable,” he said.
Clancy was apologetic and tearful when he addressed
McDermott’s loved ones and the court:
“I was thinking about how I could apologize to you for a long time, but I have to say I truly am so sorry. I wasn’t like your son. I made a lot of mistakes. This is something I’ll never forgive myself for. And I know that means nothing to the pain you feel every day. This tragedy is fully my fault. I’m so sorry for what I’ve done.”
Before handing down his sentence, Judge Fernando Camacho
called the case “an incredible contrast in character” between McDermott and
Clancy.
“I wish that these proceedings could be broadcast to the
world. Everybody should hear what a great man Michael McDermott was,” he said.
Judge Camacho also said that he was going to recommend that
Clancy serve every day of his sentence. Clancy’s attorney Anthony La Pinta
reserved the right to appeal.
In the days since his death – friends, family and co-workers
bound together to raise $201,100 for the McDermott family through a GoFundMe
campaign.
Kings Park School District named the JV field at the high
school in McDermott's honor, with the help of Kings Park Youth sponsors and other
donors. COVID-19 uprooted plans to officially dedicate Michael S. McDermott Field
this past May.
Friends have also started a #BeLikeMike campaign that has
raised money through the sale of shirts, bracelets and stickers.
