Driver in deadly 2022 Cutchogue crash extradited from Poland

A Polish national accused of causing a fatal drunken-driving crash in Cutchogue in 2022 has been extradited from Poland to Suffolk County, prosecutors said Tuesday.

Adam Chrzanowski, 45, formerly of Riverhead and a native of Poland, was arrested in March 2022 in connection with the head-on crash that killed passenger Elizabeth Post, 60, of Massapequa. Mr. Chrzanowski fled the country in March 2024 after he was indicted.

“This defendant’s alleged dangerous and deadly choice to drive drunk caused the death of Elizabeth Post, who was simply headed home after visiting her grandchild,” District Attorney Ray Tierney said in a press release following the extradition. “When it was finally time to face the charges for his actions, he allegedly fled the country.”

An investigation found that on March 6, 2022, at approximately 6:04 p.m., Mr. Chrzanowski was driving a 2021 Toyota RAV4 eastbound on Route 25 in Cutchogue when he allegedly crossed over the double yellow lines attempting to pass another vehicle. He then allegedly crashed head-on with a 2019 Nissan Rogue traveling in the westbound lanes. Ms. Post was in the front passenger seat.

Two other vehicles went off the roadway and spun out of control after the collision, according to previous reports. 

The driver of the Nissan Rogue suffered multiple fractures to his spine, clavicle, sternum, ribs and leg, according to the DA’s press release. Ms. Post underwent several surgeries for severe internal injuries and fractures and died from her injuries on Sept. 12, 2022.

Mr. Chrzanowski was arraigned on Dec. 21, 2022, before County Court Judge Stephen Braslow on charges including aggravated vehicular homicide, manslaughter, vehicular manslaughter, aggravated vehicular assault, assault, driving while intoxicated, aggravated driving while intoxicated and reckless driving.

He was previously arrested on drunken driving charges by Southold police in 2017, according to previous reports.

While his case was pending, Mr. Chrzanowski allegedly boarded a plane at JFK Airport on March 10, 2024, and flew to Poland to avoid prosecution, according to the DA’s office. A bench warrant was issued March 25, 2024, after he failed to appear on the indictment.

Detective Roman Wilinski of the Southold Police Department conducted the investigation. 

“Interpol was good enough to track him down and the U.S. marshals did pretty much all of the work,” Det. Wilinski told the Riverhead News-Review in a phone interview March 24. 

Mr. Chrzanowski was later indicted for bail jumping and, with the assistance of federal and Polish authorities, was returned to the United States. He was arraigned Tuesday on the bail jumping charge before County Court Judge Bryan Browns.

Judge Browns ordered Mr. Chrzanowski held without bail until his next court appearance on April 8. He faces eight and a third to 25 years in prison if convicted of aggravated vehicular homicide, and two and a third to seven years if convicted of bail jumping.

Mr. Chrzanowski is being represented by Hauppauge-based attorney Christopher Gioe. Mr. Gioe could not be immediately reached when The Suffolk times called his office Tuesday afternoon.

Southold Police Chief Steve Grattan told the News-Review Tuesday afternoon he was pleased to see the collaborative effort to extradite Mr. Chrzanowski back to the United States was successful. 

“He made the decision that day to get behind the wheel and it resulted in a tragedy and he’ll be accountable for that,” Chief Grattan said. 

Mr. Tierney thanked the Southold Town Police Department, United States Marshal Services’ New York and New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force and the Department of Justice for their work to bring Mr. Chrzanowski “to justice.”

The case is being prosecuted by assistant district attorneys Ray Varuolo and Jeffrey Rosenheck of the Vehicular Crime Bureau, and assistant district attorney Grazia Divincenzo of the Appeals and Training Bureau.