Victim of suspected drunk driving crash in Melville dies
Nelson Gonzalez was placed in a coma after what police are calling a head-on DWI crash that took place the day after Christmas.
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The victim of a suspected drunk driving crash in Melville has died.
Nelson Gonzalez was placed in a coma after what police are calling a head-on DWI crash that took place the day after Christmas.
According to police, 63-year-old Gonzalez was critically injured in a collision around 10 p.m. with alleged drunk driver John Ankelman, 59, of Farmingdale.
Police say Ankelman was driving a 2025 Mazda CX-7 and hit Gonzalez's Toyota Tacoma head on while Gonzalez was in the intersection of Pinelawn Road and Express Drive South.
News 12 previously spoke to Gonzalez's family, who said he was in the National Guard for 18 years and worked in security.
The family also told News 12 that after the crash Gonzalez had to be revived at the scene before being taken to Plainview Hospital. He was later transferred to North Shore Community Hospital in Manhasset.
Ankelman was arrested at the scene and was charged with driving while intoxicated. The Suffolk District Attorney's office has not yet replied to News 12’s inquiry about upgraded charges for Ankelman following Gonzalez's death.
