Crime & Safety
UPDATED: DWI Charge Dropped in Crash That Killed Teen in East Quogue
Taylor Geib only charged with a lane violation and imprudent speed.
Driving while intoxicated charges were dropped against , 17, who was involved in a in East Quogue in which Cameron Nicholls, 18, of Quiogue, lost his life.
At his arraignment at 1 p.m. Geib, who was in court with his mother Jodi and sister Jaime, only faced charges of a lane violation and imprudent speed, to which he pleaded not guilty. The matter was adjourned until August.
Geib's attorney Neil Rogers said that there was no evidence of alcohol in Geib's system at the time of the crash.
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"We would like a public exoneration," said Rogers.
The Suffolk County District Attorney's office confirmed that Geib's test results were clean in a release to the media late Wednesday afternoon.
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"The driver in a fatal East Quogue crash had no alcohol or drugs in his system," read the release from Bob Clifford, spokesman for the DA. "Toxicology results of an East Quogue teenager's blood showed no alcohol or drugs in his system at the time of a fatal crash on Lewis Road on June 26."
In court, Stephanie Nicholls, Cameron's mother had questioned why a DWI charge was not before the court. She said, "There was no alcohol. There were no drugs, but there was a dead body. I am the mother of a boy who is dead now."
The judge responded simply saying that at this time there is no DWI charge before the court.
For weeks, many have suggested that Geib, who appeared before Justice Andrea Schiavoni, was not intoxicated on the fateful night and , the devastated girlfriend of Nicholls, said Geib “was not drinking” the night of the accident.
Geib was initially charged on June 26 when police say he lost control of a 2007 Honda Accord on Lewis Road near Mitchell Place in East Quogue around 11:15 p.m. The speed limit on Lewis Road is 30 miles per hour.
Geib’s car reportedly veered onto a lawn, flipped over and struck a parked BMW in the driveway of a residence.
Detective Sgt. Randy Hintze initially said preliminary investigation indicated “excessive speed and alcohol contributed to this accident.”
On Wednesday, Southampton Town Police Chief William Wilson said, “The investigation is ongoing.”
Friends of Nicholls held a on June 27 in his memory and a , attended by scores of sobbing teens, was held at the Follett & Werner Funeral Home in Westhampton Beach.
