A Hempstead man was sentenced to up to nine years in prison for his role in 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. Reyes 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.
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.
The defendant 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.
Reyes, 50, pleaded guilty in April 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).
Reyes was sentenced on June 12 to five to nine years in prison.
“It’s a miracle no lives were lost in this crash, and this is exactly the type of recklessness our office warns against so frequently,” Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly said. “Driving under the influence is a serious crime with serious consequences, and Mr. Reyes will spend the next several years behind bars reflecting on his criminal actions. I once again urge residents not to make a life-altering choice by drinking and driving.”