Charges against a Brooklyn woman accused of driving her car through a house in Huntington will be dropped Wednesday and another suspect will be arraigned.
The Suffolk County District Attorney's Office made the surprise announcement late Tuesday night.
“Our investigation, based on medical evidence, witness statements and other proof has determined Sophia Anderson was not the driver of the car when it crashed into the house at 200 Southdown Road in Huntington in the early morning hours of May 28,” District Attorney Thomas Spota said.
Anderson was originally accused of driving her car through a house at 200 Southdown Road. The home was later condemned by town officials. A Town of Huntington sign posted on the front door has deemed the buidling unsafe for human habitation.
Spota's office said the DWI charge against Anderson will be dropped and the actual driver will be arraigned on a grand jury indictment in Suffolk County court in Riverhead.
“The actual driver has been indicted by a Suffolk County grand jury and was arrested today (9/18/2012) on an indictment warrant. Under New York law, because the sealed indictment is “DeNovo”, we cannot identify the defendant until Judge Martin Efman unseals the indictment Wednesday morning. We are confident the driver of the car who drove through the house will be held accountable,” Spota said.
The motorist driving a 2003 Mercedes Benz south on Browns Road failed to negotiate the T-intersection with Southdown Road and drove straight across the street, striking a tree planted in front of the house and went through the kitchen of the home where both the tree and the Mercedes Benz came to rest in the backyard.
The two women who lived in the home, Helen Indiere, 96, and her 94-year-old sister, Virgina Bennert, will also be on hand.
Spota will speak about the new indictment, and the investigation that led to the arrest of the new suspect, following the defendant’s arraignment.
