An 18-year-old East Hampton man was indicted for a fatal car crash that killed a woman and injured other passengers.
On Father’s Day, June 15, Luis Gonzalo Barrionuevo Fuertes allegedly drove a group of people to a local beach in East Hampton where they, including Barrionuevo Fuertes, allegedly consumed alcohol. The group of seven, whose ages ranged from 15 to 19 years old, left the beach with Barrionuevo Fuertes, who drove them in his 2009 Toyota Camry. At approximately 7:39 p.m., as Barrionuevo Fuertes drove the car northbound on Old Stone Highway, he allegedly approached a curve in the road at a high rate of speed and ended up driving into the opposite lane where he nearly struck an oncoming vehicle. Barrionuevo Fuertes then drove off the roadway and crashed into a tree. The impact caused the vehicle to roll onto its passenger side.
One of the rear seat passengers, 19-year-old Scarleth Samaniego-Urgiles, was killed due to the impact. The remaining passengers in the vehicle were transported to local hospitals for medical treatment, with one rear passenger suffering a spinal fracture and severe lacerations to her hand that resulted in significant disfigurement. Responding police officers observed that Barrionuevo Fuertes exhibited signs of intoxication and placed him under arrest.
On July 9, 2025, Barrionuevo Fuertes was arraigned on the indictment before Acting Supreme Court Justice Steven A. Pilewski, for the following charges contained in the indictment:
- One count of Aggravated Vehicular Homicide, a Class B felony
- One count of Manslaughter in the Second Degree, a Class C felony
- One count of Aggravated Vehicular Assault, a Class C felony
- One count of Vehicular Manslaughter in the Second Degree, a Class C felony
- Two counts of Assault in the Second Degree, both Class D violent felonies
- One count of Vehicular Assault in the First Degree, a Class D felony
- Two counts of Vehicular Assault in the Second Degree, both Class E felonies
- One count of Aggravated Driving While Intoxicated, a Class E felony
- Two counts of Driving While Intoxicated, both Unclassified misdemeanors
- Three counts of Assault in the Third Degree, all Class A misdemeanors
- One count of Reckless Endangerment in the Second Degree, a Class A misdemeanor
- One count of Endangering the Welfare of a Child, a Class A misdemeanor
- One count of Reckless Driving, an Unclassified misdemeanor
- One count of Speeding, a Traffic Infraction.
Justice Pilewski ordered Barrionuevo Fuertes to be held on $500,000 cash, $1,000,000 bond or $5,000,000 partially secured bond and suspended his license during the pendency of the case. Barrionuevo Fuertes is due back in court on August 19 and faces 8 1/3 to 25 years in prison if convicted on the top count.
“This defendant’s alleged dangerous and deadly actions caused the untimely death of this young woman and jeopardized the lives of the other passengers in the vehicle as their summer was about to kick off,” said Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney. “Instead, Father’s Day was turned into an unspeakable tragedy for them and their families.”