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Incident location, Long Island
What Happened
Jaden D’Souza, 20, was sentenced to up to 18 years in prison on Friday for a fatal high-speed crash on the Southern State Parkway that killed two passengers in January 2025. Prosecutors say D’Souza was driving 123 mph while high on marijuana when he lost control of his vehicle near Exit 30, according to News 12 Long Island.
The vehicle went off the road and crashed into a tree, landing upside down on a nearby shoulder. One passenger, a female relative of D’Souza, was trapped in the rear passenger seat and pronounced dead at the scene. A second female passenger was ejected from the vehicle and killed. A 23-year-old male passenger sustained serious spinal fractures and a traumatic brain injury, according to authorities.
The crash created additional casualties when a spare tire flew off D’Souza’s car, struck another vehicle and caused it to crash into a guardrail. The driver of that secondary vehicle was also injured, prosecutors said.
D’Souza pleaded guilty in March to multiple charges including aggravated vehicular homicide, manslaughter, assault and driving while ability impaired by drugs. The 20-year-old was originally facing charges as a teenager when the crash occurred.
Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly discussed the sentencing in a press release on Friday, calling D’Souza’s actions extremely reckless and highlighting the tragic loss of life that occurred. “This sentence sends a clear message that there is a heavy price to pay for such a flagrant disregard for human life. Our hearts are with the victims’ families, and we hope this result brings them a measure of justice,” she said.
The crash occurred in January 2025, with the sentencing announcement coming on May 9, 2026, reported by News 12. The case represents one of the most serious traffic fatalities on Long Island’s parkway system in recent years, involving both drug impairment and extreme speeding that more than doubled the parkway’s speed limit.
Location & Road Context
The fatal crash occurred near Exit 30 on the Southern State Parkway, a major east-west thoroughfare that spans Nassau and Suffolk counties. The Southern State Parkway has recorded 399 incidents in recent database records, including recent roadwork, repaving projects, and barrier repairs throughout May 2026.
Exit 30 connects to Babylon Turnpike in the Town of Babylon area, serving as a key access point for communities in central Long Island. The parkway’s design, with limited shoulders and tree-lined medians, can make high-speed crashes particularly devastating when vehicles leave the roadway.
Investigation & Legal Proceedings
The case moved through Nassau County courts over more than a year following the January 2025 crash. D’Souza faced multiple felony charges related to the deaths and injuries caused by his impaired driving at extreme speeds.
His March guilty plea to aggravated vehicular homicide, manslaughter, assault and driving while ability impaired by drugs cleared the way for Friday’s sentencing. The up-to-18-year prison term reflects the severity of the charges and the multiple casualties caused by the defendant’s actions, including both the fatal injuries to his passengers and the harm to the secondary vehicle struck by debris.