A Long Island bar owner and “recidivist drunk driver” whose license was revoked 10 years ago has been charged in a hit-and-run crash that seriously injured a pedestrian.
Teddy’s Bully Bar proprietor Leonard Gross was arraigned Thursday on charges including driving while intoxicated, vehicular assault and leaving the scene of an incident that left a pedestrian seriously injured in the spring, according to a news release from Nassau County prosecutors.
“This defendant is a recidivist drunk driver, and on the evening of the crash, was on our roads with a license that had been revoked nearly a decade before,” said Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly.
The 67-year-old defendant from Syosset pleaded not guilty.
Prosecutors claim video and witness statements prove Gross consumed “multiple drinks” at his Oyster Bay bar before getting behind the wheel and mowing over a pedestrian with his 2025 Dodge Ram pick-up truck shortly after 9 p.m. on May 17.
“This man should have never been on the road,” according to Donnelly. “Now, we will hold him accountable for his criminal actions and the harm he caused.”
Gross is accused of striking his victim in a crosswalk, then running them over and speeding away. Surveillance video and license plate readers led police officers to the defendant’s driveway where they claim to have seen blood under Gross’s truck.
The victim was treated for multiple broken ribs, chest and lung injuries and facial lacerations at Nassau University Medical Center. Police said the unidentified man was intubated for roughly five days.
Teddy’s Bully Bar is described on its website as “a refined gastropub located in the heart of Oyster Bay, that celebrates the towns rich history with American comfort food, speciality cocktails, local beer & wine, featuring live music every weekend.”
