A Hempstead man pleaded guilty to causing a drunken wrong-way crash on the Long Island Expressway last May that seriously injured the driver of another vehicle.
On May 18, 2025, at approximately 7:00 a.m., Jorge Arias Reyes was driving a 2009 Honda Odyssey westbound in the eastbound lanes of the Long Island Expressway near Exit 37 in Roslyn. The defendant traveled the wrong way in his vehicle for several miles and sideswiped another vehicle, before he eventually collided head-on with a 2014 Toyota Prius, driven by the 51-year-old victim.
Arias Reyes was arrested by members of the Nassau County Police Department at approximately 7:25 a.m. The victim was transported to North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset and suffered a fractured tibia and a dislocated hip. Arias Reyes was also transported to North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset for treatment of injuries. Blood taken from the defendant at the hospital revealed his blood alcohol content was .26%, more than three times the legal limit for alcohol
On April 20, Arias Reyes, 50, pleaded guilty before Judge Howard Sturim to Aggravated Vehicular Assault (a Class C felony); Assault in the Second Degree (a Class D violent felony); and Aggravated Driving While Intoxicated, Per Se (an unclassified misdemeanor).
The defendant is due back in court on June 12, 2026. He is expected to be sentenced to up to five to nine years in prison, as requested by the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office.
“The defendant’s level of intoxication in this case was staggering,” said Nassau DA Anne Donnelly. “These are the choices that destroy lives. Thankfully, no one was killed because of this defendant’s reckless disregard for safety, and he will no longer be a threat on our roads.”