Story by Ethan
On March 11th, 2026, the arrest of John Ankelman, age 59, was announced by Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz. John Ankelman was charged with second-degree Vehicular Manslaughter, two counts of Aggravated Vehicular Homicide, Criminally Negligent Homicide, Aggravated Driving While Intoxicated, two counts of Driving While Intoxicated, Reckless Driving, Operating a Motor Vehicle in Violation of License Restrictions, and two counts of Speeding. The arrest and charges against John Ankelman were a result of an investigation handled by the Suffolk County Police Department’s 2nd Precinct, Suffolk County Police Department Digital Forensics Unit, Suffolk County Crime Lab, and the NYPD Highway District Collision Investigation Squad.
According to the Queens District Attorney’s Office, on December 26th, 2025, John Ankelman was giving his patronage at the Changing Times Pub on Melville Road in Farmingdale, New York from 3:12 p.m. to 9:45 p.m.. Approximately 15 minutes later the defendant entered his Mazda SUV and drove northbound on Pinelawn Road towards the intersection with South Service Road in Melville, New York. At the same time the victim, 63-year-old Nelson Gonzalez, was driving his Toyota Tacoma southwards on Pinelawn Road towards the same South Service Road intersection. Nelson Gonzalez was attempting to make a left turn with the right of way during a green light when John Ankelman allegedly struck the victim head on with his vehicle. Nelson Gonzalez was taken to a local hospital after sustaining severe body trauma, and he was ultimately pronounced as dead on January 5th, 2026. After investigation into the crash was conducted it was reported that John Ankelman was observed to have bloodshot and glassy eyes, slurred speech, and a strong odor of alcohol on his breath. This led to a court-authorized blood test to be performed on the defendant, revealing that his blood alcohol content was .18 percent which is more than double the legal limit. It was also uncovered that John Ankelman’s driving privileges were restricted by the DMV prior to the collision.
The Queens District Attorney’s Office stated that the charges against John Ankelman are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
