A former New York City police officer and a woman from Long Island have been taken into custody in relation to a high-speed crash that resulted in a fatality last year, officials confirmed on Tuesday.
Stanley Cadet, a 27-year-old ex-officer, and Kayla Lopez, aged 28, face charges of second-degree manslaughter following the death of Anna Wilson on May 11, 2024, in Suffolk County.
According to the indictment from the state attorney general’s office, Cadet and Lopez were racing side-by-side at excessive speeds along Union Boulevard in West Islip at approximately 2:20 a.m. on the day of the incident. Cadet was off duty, driving his own Hyundai, while Lopez was in an Infiniti.
As they neared the Route 231 overpass, investigators report that the two vehicles collided while traveling over 100 mph. The impact caused Lopez’s car to veer off the road and crash into several telephone poles.
Anna Wilson, a 22-year-old passenger in Lopez’s vehicle, tragically lost her life in the crash. Three other passengers sustained injuries as a result of the collision.
Since Cadet held the position of an NYPD officer at the time of the accident, Governor Hochul appointed a special prosecutor from the state attorney general’s office to oversee the investigation and legal proceedings.
In addition to second-degree manslaughter, Cadet and Lopez were charged with second- and third-degree assault and second-degree reckless endangerment, along with three traffic violations.
