Raymond Ragen, 45, of Mineola, was found guilty Wednesday of manslaughter and assault for a July 2012 crash in which a cement truck he was driving crashed head-on into a school bus carrying special-needs children, killing the driver and injuring five others including four children, according to Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice.
Ragen, who was later found to be high on Valium at the time of the accident, was driving a 13-foot, 3-inch high cement truck weighing nearly 40,000 pounds eastbound on Oyster Bay Road in Matinecock at 3 p.m. July 23 when he crashed into a 10-foot, 1-inch high Long Island Railroad overpass, according to the DA’s office.
The force of the crash sent the cement truck careening into oncoming traffic where it crashed head-on with a miniature school bus carrying special-needs children home from summer camp.
The crash resulted in the death of Jorge Guevara, 45, of Locust Valley, a 64-year-old man serving as a bus attendant sustained multiple fractures, including a broken and dislocated hip that required two surgeries and a fractured wrist.
One of the four children, who were between the ages of six and nine, sustained a fractured jaw and lacerations on his face and body and has permanent facial scarring The other children suffered minor injuries.
A subsequent investigation by the DA’s Office, Nassau County Police Department, and Drug Enforcement Agency revealed that Ragen was high on Valium at the time of the crash, according to the DA’s office.
GPS data from the cement truck revealed that Ragen was aware that his truck would not fit beneath the overpass because he had driven up to the bridge a few hours earlier and been forced to perform a U-turn, the DA’s office said.
Ragen, who was found guilty of manslaughter in the second degree and assault in the second degree, faces a maximum sentence of five to 15 years in prison on his conviction of the top charge
He was acquitted in a jury trial before Nassau County Court Judge William Dinnino of aggravated vehicular homicide, vehicular manslaughter in the 2nd degree, and one count of assault in the 2nd degree.
He is due back in court on May 23, to determine a sentencing date.
Efforts to reach Ragen’s lawyer, David Besso, were unavailing.