A Far Rockaway man was sentenced to up to 10 years in prison for a drunken, high-speed crash in Rockville Centre that killed his 23-year-old cousin, who was a passenger in his vehicle.
On September 17, 2023, at approximately 10:34 p.m., Samuel Gutierrez Orozco was driving southbound on Peninsula Boulevard at a high rate of speed when he crossed over the roadway’s grassy median and into the northbound lanes and crashed into a tree.
A Nassau County Police medic who was driving along Peninsula Boulevard shortly after the crash was flagged down by another motorist and responded. The medic observed the passenger, Larry Josue Orozco Torrez, unresponsive. Orozco Torrez was pronounced dead at the scene at approximately 10:52 p.m.
Additional Nassau County police officers arrived at the scene and removed Gutierrez Orozco from his vehicle. The defendant was transported to NYU Langone Long Island Hospital and treated for his injuries.
A search warrant for the defendant’s blood revealed the defendant’s blood alcohol concentration was .12% about one hour after the crash. The sample also contained marijuana and cocaine.
Gutierrez Orozco was arrested on April 15, 2025, by members of the Nassau County Police Department.
Samuel Gutierrez Orozco, 25, pleaded guilty on December 15, 2025, before Judge Terence Murphy to one count of Manslaughter in the Second Degree (a Class C felony); Vehicular Manslaughter in the Second Degree (a Class D felony); Assault in the Second Degree (a Class D violent felony) and Driving While Intoxicated (an unclassified misdemeanor).
The defendant was sentenced on January 21 to four to 10 years in prison. The Nassau County District Attorney’s Office recommended a sentence of six to 10 years in prison.
“Without concern for his life or the life of his cousin, Samuel Gutierrez Orozco climbed behind the wheel of his car, drunk and high on marijuana and cocaine, and sped down Peninsula Boulevard until his intoxication forced him to lose control and crash into a tree,” said Nassau DA Anne Donnelly. “The violent force of the crash killed Larry Josue Orozco Torrez instantly, ending the promise of a young man, robbing him of a future, and devastating his family.”
“Drunk and drugged drivers are a danger to everyone who shares the road with them – passengers and other drivers alike,” Donnelly said. “We will continue to send the message through our prosecutions that this criminal behavior will not be tolerated.”