Bellmore man sentenced to be in a coma after drunk driving

A Bellmore man was sentenced Monday in a car crash that left a man losing a leg and in an induced coma.

A Nassau County judge sentenced Robert O’Brien Jr. to four to 12 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to charges including driving under the influence of alcohol and aggravated assault with a vehicle.

The incident occurred in July 2021 when O’Brien was driving drunk and collided with 73-year-old Steven Strauss in Long Beach.

Strauss was trapped between two vehicles in the accident and was in an artificial coma for weeks. He spent six months in hospital and his leg had to be amputated due to his injuries.

O’Brien fled the scene after the accident.

Prosecutors revealed in court that O’Brien had previously been charged with drunk driving in 2014, but his lawyer said he was doing better after that incident.

Strauss told News 12 he hopes O’Brien learns from his mistakes.

O’Brien was taken into custody after the verdict and the judge revoked his driver’s license for one year.