LI Man Pleads Guilty In DWI Crash That Killed Mom Of 3

SHIRLEY, NY — A Shirley man pleaded guilty Thursday for driving while intoxicated and killing a mother of three in a 2020 Farmingville crash that also left her daughters injured, Suffolk County District Attorney Tim Sini said.

Chris D. Montpetit, 36, pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicular homicide, a felony; aggravated driving while intoxicated, a misdemeanor; and reckless driving, a misdemeanor; he is expected to be sentenced to five and two-thirds to 17 years in prison, Sini said.

Following the crash, Montpetit was arrested by Suffolk County police officers and transported to the Sixth Precinct, where he refused to submit to a chemical test of his blood, Sini said. The district attorney's office secured a warrant for a chemical test of Montpetit's blood that revealed a blood alcohol content of 0.28 percent, more than three times the legal limit of .08 percent, Sini said.

At 5:06 p.m. on Sept. 25, 2020, Montpetit was driving a 2018 Jeep Cherokee northbound on County Route 83 in Farmingville at a high rate of speed and rapidly changing lanes when he struck the rear of a 2015 Honda Civic, which had become disabled in the right lane and had its hazard lights engaged, Sini said.

Erika Bautista, 31, of Farmingville, and her three daughters were transported to Stony Brook University Hospital for treatment of serious physical injuries; Erika Bautista succumbed to her injuries on Oct. 11, Sini said.

“The victim’s loved ones, including her three young daughters, have endured an unimaginable tragedy because of this defendant’s decision to drive drunk,” Sini said. “While nothing can undo the pain he has caused, today’s guilty plea holds him accountable for his actions.”

Montpetit is scheduled to be sentenced by Suffolk County Supreme Court Justice John Collins on Aug. 2; he is being represented by Michael Brown, Sini said. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Daniel Cronin, of the vehicular crime bureau.