Defendant in crash that seriously injured cop headed to trial

The trial of a man accused of smashing into the back of a police car while driving drunk, seriously injuring the officer inside, is set to begin Monday in Mineola, prosecutors said today.

Rahiem Griffin will face charges of second-degree vehicular assault and second-degree assault for his role in the May crash that left Nassau Police Officer Kenneth Baribault seriously hurt, prosecutors said. If convicted, he could face 2 1/3 to 7 years in prison.

To prove second-degree vehicular assault, prosecutors will have to establish Griffin was drunk and that it caused him to seriously injure someone, experts said. To prove second-degree assault under a theory of recklessness, prosecutors have to prove he hurt someone while behaving recklessly - either by driving drunk or by breaking other traffic laws, experts said.

Three months ago, Baribault's sister said that he has an aide by his side 24 hours a day, but he can eat, speak a few words and walks with assistance and a cane.

By ANN GIVENS
Posted Friday, May 29, 2009

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