Press Release

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Joseph Lee was sentenced to eight years in prison after being convicted of attempted assault in the first degree, two counts of assault in the second degree, and reckless driving for driving his minivan the wrong way on the Clearview Expressway during rush hour. The defendant struck multiple cars and injured two motorists in separate collisions as he proceeded down the highway.

District Attorney Katz said: “Joseph Lee terrorized other drivers as he purposefully drove the wrong way on a busy Queens highway and crashed into multiple cars. Two motorists were badly hurt and still have not fully recovered. Thanks to a strong case prosecuted by my Vehicular Homicide Unit, the defendant was convicted by a jury and will now go to prison.”

Lee, 30, of 211^th Street in Bayside, was convicted by a jury in June of attempted assault in the first degree, two counts of assault in the second degree and reckless driving.

Trial openings began on June 5 and summations took place on June 17. The jury returned the verdict on June 18 after deliberating for about three hours.

Supreme Court Justice Michael J. Hartofilis sentenced Lee yesterday to eight years in prison for attempted assault in the first degree, six years on each count of assault in the second degree and 364 days for reckless driving with all sentences to run concurrent to one another.

According to the charges and trial testimony, on January 18, 2023, at approximately 9:19 a.m., Lee entered the Clearview Expressway and drove northbound in the southbound lanes. While driving, he intentionally directed his vehicle into oncoming vehicles, which swerved to avoid him. The defendant struck approximately five cars causing serious physical injuries to two motorists.

When officers arrived at the scene, they observed Lee running down the highway. He then entered one of the victim’s vehicles and while inside raised his fist and said to the victim, “You want to fight?”.

Lee, who at the time of arrest appeared to be under the influence of drugs, was taken to a local hospital. The defendant later admitted that he consumed DMT, a hallucinogen, approximately 30 to 60 minutes before driving onto the expressway. Lee further told police that entered the highway the wrong way because he wanted to hurt people and that he felt “liberated” by what he had done.

Assistant District Attorney Vivian Gonzalez of the District Attorney’s Vehicular Homicide Unit within the Homicide Bureau prosecuted the case under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Jonathan Selkowe, Deputy Bureau Chief, Assistant District Attorney John Kosinski, Bureau Chief, and under the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for Major Crimes Shawn Clark.