Man arrested on drugs, weapons charges following fatal crash

Posted on Jan 3 2021 12:00PM

Suffolk County Police arrested a man on drugs and weapons charges following a motor vehicle crash that killed a man in Medford today.

Malcolm Stewart was driving a 2014 Mercedes-Benz northbound on County Road 101 at approximately 12:30 p.m. when he drove through a red light and his vehicle struck a 2021 Chevrolet, driven by James Palumbo. Palumbo was traveling southbound, making a left turn onto Station Road.

When officers arrived, Stewart was in possession of a .45 caliber handgun. Officers located narcotics on Stewart and in his vehicle.  

Palumbo, 56, of Yaphank, was transported to Long Island Community Hospital in East Patchogue where he was pronounced dead. Stewart, 29, of Coram, and his passenger, Savanna Steinbach, 23, of Shirley, were both transported to Long Island Community Hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.

Major Case Unit detectives charged Stewart with Criminal Possession of a Weapon 2nd Degree, two counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 2nd Degree and Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 7th Degree. Steinbach was charged with two counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 2nd Degree and Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 7th Degree. They are scheduled for arraignment at a later date.

Detectives are asking anyone with information on the crash to contact the Major Case Unit at 631-852-6555.
(From SCPD)