MINEOLA, N.Y. – A New York driver arrested on vehicular manslaughter, DWI and other charges has pleaded not guilty at his arraignment.
The attorney for James Ryan, a 25-year-old from Oakdale, says his client was posting $120,000 bond and would be released later Friday.
Ryan was involved in a series of car accidents early Thursday on the Long Island Expressway. A highway patrol officer responding to the scene was struck and killed by the driver of an SUV. That driver has not been charged.
Ryan's attorney, Brian Davis, said he would investigate whether there is legal precedent for his client to be charged with manslaughter in this case.
Other charges include reckless endangerment and criminal possession of a controlled substance. Davis says Ryan had a prescription for the drug Adderall.
