Former Adelphi University president Christine Riordan pleads guilty in Garden City LIRR track crash

A former Adelphi University president accused of drunken driving after crashing into an LIRR station in Garden City has pleaded guilty to reduced charges of second-degree reckless endangerment and fourth-degree criminal mischief, both misdemeanor offenses.

Christine Riordan, 61, broke through metal fencing at the Nassau Boulevard station Sept. 30, "narrowly" missing commuters before landing on the tracks and causing an electrical explosion from the third rail, Newsday previously reported that a felony complaint stated. The crash took place shortly after 8 p.m. 

As part of her plea, Riordan must satisfy several conditions, including making a $140,000 payment to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Long Island Rail Road for damage to the railway, according to Nicole Turso, a spokeswoman with the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office.

Riordan must also undergo a treatment evaluation and complete 100 hours of community service, as well as participate in a course to prevent aggressive driving. She must also take part in a Mothers Against Drunk Driving victim impact panel.

"If she successfully completes the conditions, the charges will be reduced to disorderly conduct and reckless driving," Turso said in an email. 

Riordan faced felony charges of second-degree criminal mischief and first-degree reckless endangerment, plus a misdemeanor driving while intoxicated. The DWI charge was dropped. A spokesman with the Department of Motor Vehicles said Riordan's driver’s license is not currently suspended. 

In court documents, a police officer described her as having "blood shot, glassy eyes," with "a strong odor of alcohol," on her breath and "swaying while walking," after the incident. The officer wrote in his report that Riordan failed several field sobriety tests. She also refused to have her breath and blood tested for alcohol.

She previously insisted through her attorney, Steven Gaitman, that she was not intoxicated and pointed to a potential vehicle malfunction as a cause of the crash. She was driving a 2024 black BMW.

Gaitman said Monday in a statement, "After reviewing the evidence, the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office dismissed all DWI charges against my client.

"We are very pleased to have reached an agreement under which the remaining criminal charges will ultimately be reduced to noncriminal violations, thereby ensuring that Ms. Riordan will have no criminal conviction.”

Court documents show Riordan initially told police at the scene, "It's a new car, and it just went straight ahead out of gear." 

Zsakiyah Brown, 30, a graduate student at Adelphi University, told Newsday she was waiting on the platform when she saw the chain of events quickly unfold as her 8:10 p.m. train to Brooklyn approached.

Brown was a witness to the incident, according to court documents. She told Newsday she saw Riordan strike two cars in the parking lot before winding up on the tracks.

She went to look to make sure Riordan and a passenger inside were safe. 

" I just wanted to make sure they were off the tracks. They were on the tracks right when the train legit was right there," Brown said in a phone interview.

According to a police officer, a running train was forced to stop due to the incident. Service was also suspended overnight, court documents said.

Riordan, who was the first woman to lead Adelphi University, abruptly left in June after serving as president since 2015. An Adelphi spokesperson did not return inquiries seeking comment. Riordan and a passenger were not injured.

Turso said Riordan will attend a future hearing at the Department of Motor Vehicles for refusing to submit to a chemical test to determine whether her license will be revoked. It was initially temporarily suspended at her arraignment for refusing to submit to a chemical test.

In 2021, Riordan earned more than $1 million in total compensation — including base salary, a bonus and other related compensation, Newsday reported in 2023. A spokesperson for the university previously declined to comment on her departure or whether there were any terms, citing university policy not to comment on personnel matters.