DA: Clifton Park man admits drug use in crash that seriously injured four

PHOTOGRAPHER: File Photo

Brandon M. Iacovissi leaves Clifton Park Town Court after an appearance in May

BALLSTON SPA — A Clifton Park man admitted Tuesday he was under the influence of Fentanyl when he slammed head-on into a van in April, seriously injuring four people, Saratoga County District Attorney’s officials said.

Brandon M. Iacovissi, 28, pleaded guilty in Saratoga County Court to one count of first-degree vehicular assault, a felony.

He is to be sentenced in December. His expected prison term wasn’t available, but the charge itself carries a maximum term of 2.3 to 7 years.

Four people were seriously injured in the April 20 crash on Route 146, near Tanner Road in Clifton Park. All four were in the van Iacovissi struck.

The crash happened as troopers searched for Iacovissi’s vehicle after receiving multiple reports of an impaired driver in the area. One caller said Iacovissi was driving in the oncoming lane and was going to kill someone, according to papers previously filed in court.

Iacovissi had been arrested twice before on charges that accused him of illegal drug use behind the wheel, records showed.

In one of the previous cases, just weeks before the April crash, a trooper administered Narcan to Iacovissi to counteract possible opiates in his system, and he came around. He later admitted to troopers he had taken heroin.

Saratoga County District Attorney Karen Heggen called the case “very troubling,” in a prepared statement.

Previous:

Police confront drugged drivers, May 5, 2018
Troopers: Serious crash followed drug-related arrests, May 3, 2018
Clifton Park crash witness: ‘He’s going to kill someone’, April 24, 2018
Man arrested on DWAI charge after crash, April, 21, 2018

“Remarkably, no one was killed,” Heggen said. “Unfortunately, four innocent people suffered significant injuries as a result of the defendant’s choices and are still recovering to this day.”

State police previously identified the four people in the van as driver Wei Zhang, 37, of Clifton Park; and passengers Duan Su Qing, 54, of the Bronx; Guo-Sun Yong, 55, of the Bronx; and Zuan Zhang, 31, of Flushing.

The four are connected through a nail salon Wei Zhang owns, a civil attorney for one has said.

The attorney, Matthew Chauvin, said in May that each victim had a long recovery ahead. Chauvin could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

Iacovissi’s attorney, Thomas O’Hern, also could not be reached.