Wade Gagliano, of Ronkonkoma, pleaded guilty to vehicular manslaughter in Suffolk County Court on Thursday, Nov. 30, in the death of Adrienne Wagner.
According to prosecutors, Gagliano was driving an SUV westbound on Johnson Avenue near Ocean Avenue in Ronkonkoma when he struck Wagner at around 1:30 a.m. on Aug. 14, 2022, as she crossed the street.
Wagner, age 67, of Ronkonkoma, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Following the crash, Gagliano fled without calling 911 or trying to help the woman, prosecutors said.
He then drove home and told relatives what had happened. A short time later, someone at the home called 911.
Officers responded to his Ronkonkoma home and found his SUV with front end damage and a cracked windshield. The vehicle was also missing the driver side mirror.
Gagliano was arrested and a sample of his blood was collected. Testing revealed a blood alcohol concentration of .10 percent and the presence of marijuana.
In court Thursday, he pleaded guilty to the following charges:
- Vehicular manslaughter (felony)
- Leaving the scene of an incident without reporting resulting in death (felony)
- Driving while intoxicated (misdemeanor)
- Driving while ability impaired by drugs (misdemeanor)
He is scheduled to be sentenced in January 2024. Under state law, the maximum he faces on the top count is between two and seven years in prison.
The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office recommended he be sentenced to between two and six years behind bars. His license will also be revoked.
“Adrienne Wagner’s life was tragically cut short because this defendant decided to get behind the wheel of a vehicle when he should not have, and then fled the scene after he struck her,” said Suffolk County DA Raymond Tierney.
“Crimes such as these are completely avoidable, and our legislators need to increase penalties for leaving the scene of fatal crashes.”
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