Man accused in 2005 crash that killed Long Island dad finally charged after extradition

A Long Island family is finally seeing justice after waiting two decades, as police said they tracked down the man accused of causing a high-speed crash in 2005 that killed a father of two.

Prosecutors said the suspect, 54-year-old Ganesh Shenoy, was extradited from India and appeared in a Nassau County courtroom on Friday. Shenoy had been accused of running a red light at nearly 80 mph in April 2005, slamming into the car driven by 44-year-old Philip Mastropolo, who was on his way to work. Mastropolo was killed instantly.

“Philip was just driving to work,” prosecutors said. “The impact of the crash was so violent, that it launched Philip’s car 65 feet.”

Investigators said Shenoy, a former Uniondale resident, walked away from the Hicksville intersection wreck. Even though police had confiscated his passport and driver’s license, he managed to board a flight to India, where he was arrested a year later. He then fought extradition for nearly 20 years while living free in India as the case dragged on.

Law enforcement sources said the Mastropolo family never believed they would get to see the man allegedly responsible for their father’s death held accountable.

“It’s incredibly satisfying,” Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly said. “The first thing the family said was, ‘We never thought this day would come.’ So to be able to give them that day, it’s a plus side.”

Mastropolo’s now-adult children were present in court for Shenoy’s return. One of the prosecutors described them as “elated,” while noting that Shenoy was “expressionless” and did not say anything.

In a statement, the Mastropolo family said they were grateful for the new developments and new interest in the case, and are “hopeful that justice may finally be within reach after 20 years.” The family said their husband and father was “taken too soon under circumstances that we still believe deserve answers, accountability, and closure.”

Authorities said the extradition finally brought an end to the family’s decades-long wait.

“We got him, and he’s not getting away from us again,” one official said.

This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC New York. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC New York journalist edited the article for publication.