A Hicksville man was sentenced to five to 12 years in prison for a June 2022 high-speed crash in Hempstead that killed a 48-year-old man and seriously injured his wife.
Oscar Argueta, 37, pleaded guilty on November 30, 2023, before Judge Robert McDonald to charges of aggravated vehicular homicide (a B felony); second-degree manslaughter (a C felony); second-degree assault (a D violent felony) and driving while intoxicated (an unclassified misdemeanor.) He was sentenced on March 14 to five to 12 years in prison. The Nassau County DA’s office recommended a sentence of seven to 21 years in prison.
On June 26, 2022, at approximately 1:40 a.m., Argueta was traveling northwest on Greenwich Street in Hempstead in a Dodge Durango while intoxicated and driving at 93 miles an hour when he T-boned a Mercedes Benz G300 crossing the intersection on Curtis Avenue.
The victims’ vehicle struck a curb, causing the car to flip into a utility pole. Forty-eight-year-old David Popoola, who was the passenger, and his wife, were trapped inside of the vehicle after the collision.
Popoola was pronounced deceased at the scene. His wife was taken to Mount Sinai South Nassau Hospital with serious physical injuries and underwent emergency surgery.
Argueta remained at the scene and was arrested by members of the Hempstead Police Department.
“Oscar Argueta’s reckless actions on the morning of June 26, 2022, forever changed a family, ripping away a devoted husband and father to two young children and leaving a hole in the hearts of countless family members and friends who loved him,” said Nassau County DA Anne Donnelly. “David Popoola’s wife was also seriously injured when Argueta – drunk and speeding – crashed into the couple’s vehicle and she continues to recover from those debilitating injuries. Drunk driving is at epidemic levels across our country, and it is killing our loved ones. We will continue to prosecute these cases thoroughly and hold drunk drivers accountable for their selfish choices.”