Woodbury Diner DWI Killer Pleads "Guilty"

By Ishan Shah

Last year, a horrible incident occurred in the parking lot of the "On Parade Diner" in Woodbury, as 61 year old Joseph DeVito was run over and killed.

DeVito was struck by a car pulling back in reverse, that pinned him to the metal hanrail an then crushed him against the side of the Diner.

Now the driver of that vehicle has plead "Guilty" to driving drunk and killing DeVito.

William Specht, age 63 of Wantagh, plead to aggravated vehicular homicide, along with other charges in Nassau County Court on Monday, Aug. 26th.  

Prosecutors told the Court that Specht was “highly intoxicated” when he reversed his car from a parking spot striking and killed DeVito outside the On Parade Diner at 2:30PM on Jan 18th.

DeVito suffered severe head injuries and later died at Syosset Hospital.

Despite the collision, Specht continued driving his Infiniti sedan in reverse, driving over a sidewalk also striking a ramp, and a metal fence before crashing into the diner’s exterior wall.

He drove back to the parking lot, exited his car, and stood briefly before attempting to flee the scene. He was stopped by a witness, before the Nassau County Police arrived.

Specht plead guilty to Aggravated vehicular homicide (a felony); Assault in the second degree (a felony); and Aggravated driving while intoxicated (a misdemeanor)

Specht has two prior drunk driving convictions, according to Nassau District Attorney Anne Donnelly.

“Joseph was a husband, a father, a grandfather, and a friend to many," stated Donnelly. "His family has endured immeasurable heartbreak because of this defendant’s reckless and entirely preventable actions.”

Specht now faces between seven and 15 years in prison. He will be sentenced on September 25th.