Wantagh man sentenced to up to 15 years in prison for fatal drunk driving incident in Woodbury Diner parking lot

MINEOLA, NY — A Wantagh man was sentenced Wednesday to seven to 15 years in prison for fatally beating a 61-year-old man while drunk in a Woodbury parking lot last year, Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly announced.

Willem Specht, 63, pleaded guilty in August to aggravated vehicular homicide, second-degree assault and drunken driving, referring to the January 2023 incident that killed grandfather Joseph Devito.

“On the afternoon of January 18, 2023, Willem Specht, with more than twice the alcohol limit, got behind the wheel of his car, put it in reverse and ran over 61-year-old grandfather Joseph Devito,” DA Donnelly said in a statement. “Specht's irresponsible drinking and reckless decisions robbed the Devito family of the supportive presence of a husband and father.”

According to prosecutors, the incident occurred around 2:30 p.m. in the parking lot of the On Parade Diner on Jericho Turnpike. Devito was standing on the sidewalk talking with a friend when Specht, heavily intoxicated, rapidly backed his vehicle out of a parking space, striking Devito and causing fatal head injuries. Devito was pronounced dead at Syosset Hospital shortly after the accident.

After hitting Devito, Specht continued to back up, hitting a sidewalk, a ramp, a metal fence and finally the outside wall of the restaurant. He then moved his car forward to re-park, got out and attempted to flee the scene before being stopped by a witness.

Prosecutors also revealed that despite court orders, Specht continued to drink alcohol during the case and even purchased and consumed alcohol in public while missing a scheduled court date.

Specht was sentenced to seven to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to the charges.