LaBoccetta sentenced

Frank LaBoccetta Jr., a the former rider and trainer based in New York, was sentenced on Monday in Saratoga County Court to up to three years in prison for his role in an automobile accident last summer.

According to prosecutors, LaBoccetta, 36, tested positive for heroin and cocaine after the accident, which occurred on Route 9 near Saratoga Springs on Aug. 5 at noon. He was driving a 2005 Mercedes-Benz that collided head-on with a minivan carrying four members of a family.

According to reports, LaBoccetta told the judge on Monday that he was tired that day and took the drugs to stay awake. LaBoccetta was on his way to Saratoga Racecourse when the accident occurred. Efforts to contact LaBoccetta on Tuesday were unsuccessful.

William Hobbins, the driver of the minivan, said in court that as a result of the accident he has had to have a metal rod inserted in his leg. His wife, who was in the backseat, has suffered short-term memory problems, Hobbins said, and his son, who was in the front seat, has suffered from knee problems.

LaBoccetta Jr. had earlier entered two guilty pleas to second-degree vehicular assault. The sentence on Monday includes a minimum of one year in jail.