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Incident location, Long Island
What Happened
An 18-year-old from the Hamptons pleaded guilty on Wednesday to charges stemming from a deadly drunk driving crash that killed a high school student on Father’s Day 2025 in East Hampton. The crash occurred on June 15, 2025, on Old Stone Highway near Deep Six Drive, according to Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney.
The defendant pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicular homicide, second-degree manslaughter, assault and other charges in connection with the fatal crash that killed a 19-year-old high school student, prosecutors said. The victim had been sitting in the back seat of the defendant’s 2009 Toyota Camry when the vehicle lost control and slammed into a tree, according to the district attorney’s office.
Court documents revealed that on the day of the crash, the defendant drove a group of teenagers, ranging in age from 15 to 19 years old, to a local beach where they consumed alcohol together. After drinking at the beach, the group piled into the defendant’s Toyota Camry with six passengers crammed into the back seat, according to court records. As the defendant drove the group back on Old Stone Highway, he lost control of the vehicle as he approached a curve near Deep Six Drive.
Data recovered from the vehicle’s event recorder showed that the defendant was traveling 74 mph in a 30 mph zone just moments before the crash, more than twice the posted speed limit, according to prosecutors. While he was able to avoid hitting an oncoming vehicle, the defendant slammed into a tree, causing the Toyota Camry to roll over on its side, the DA’s office said.
The violent crash killed the 19-year-old passenger and injured all six passengers who had been packed into the back seat at the time of impact. One passenger, a 15-year-old, was among those hurt in the rollover crash, while another passenger suffered severe injuries including a spinal fracture and multiple cuts to her hand that left it permanently disfigured, according to the district attorney’s office.
When East Hampton police officers arrived at the crash scene on Old Stone Highway, they observed that the defendant showed clear signs of intoxication and placed him under arrest, according to authorities. The defendant consented to a chemical blood test, which revealed he had a blood alcohol concentration of .08%, meeting the legal threshold for intoxication in New York State, prosecutors said.
District Attorney Tierney condemned the defendant’s actions in a statement following the guilty plea. “Driving while intoxicated is not a mistake; it is a selfish and lethal choice that ruins lives,” Tierney said. “Nothing can undo the pain inflicted on this family, as well as the other passengers in the car, but this conviction ensures the defendant will be held accountable for his crime.”
The prosecutor called the defendant’s decision to drive after drinking “outrageous and utterly unacceptable,” particularly given that he had multiple passengers in his vehicle, including teenagers as young as 15 years old.
Location & Road Context
The fatal crash occurred on Old Stone Highway near Deep Six Drive in East Hampton, a curved section of roadway in the popular Hamptons area of eastern Long Island. Old Stone Highway serves as a connector road in East Hampton, with a posted speed limit of 30 mph in the area where the crash occurred.
The stretch of Old Stone Highway where the defendant lost control features curves that require reduced speeds, particularly challenging for drivers under the influence of alcohol or traveling at excessive speeds. The roadway’s proximity to local beaches makes it a common route for young people during summer months.
Investigation & Legal Proceedings
Following his arrest at the crash scene on June 15, 2025, the defendant was charged with multiple felonies including aggravated vehicular homicide and second-degree manslaughter. The investigation included analysis of the Toyota Camry’s event data recorder, which provided crucial evidence about the vehicle’s speed in the moments before impact.
The defendant is scheduled to return to court on March 18 for sentencing, where he faces between 4 to 12 years in prison for the charges to which he pleaded guilty, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office. The guilty plea ensures he will be held accountable for the death of the 19-year-old passenger and the injuries sustained by the other passengers.