A Valley Stream woman was sentenced to up to six years in prison for a drunken wrong-way car crash in Hempstead in July 2025 that injured the teenage driver and passenger of another vehicle.
On July 25, 2025, at approximately 11:45 p.m., Kelyse Land was driving her 2003 Nissan on Hempstead Avenue when she crossed over the double yellow lines and into oncoming traffic. The defendant drove directly into the front of the victims’ 2022 BMW as the victims were stopped at a red light. The collision caused the BMW to hit another car.
The driver of the BMW suffered multiple hand and wrist fractures and lacerations that required more than three dozen stitches and is now left with permanent limited wrist mobility. The vehicle’s passenger was also treated for a concussion and a sprained ankle.
Blood taken from Land three hours after the crash revealed her blood alcohol content was 0.17%, more than double the legal limit. A reverse extrapolation analysis revealed the defendant’s BAC was between 0.185% and 0.26% at the time of the crash.
An investigation after the crash also recovered an empty 50-milliliter bottle of Johnnie Walker Black Label from Land’s pocket.
The defendant was arrested by members of the Nassau County Police Department at the scene shortly after the crash.
Land, 26, pleaded guilty on July 20, 2026, before Judge Helene Gugerty to Aggravated Vehicular Assault (a Class C felony); Assault in the Second Degree (a Class D violent felony); Assault in the Third Degree (a Class A misdemeanor) and Driving Under the Combined Influence of Alcohol and Drugs (an unclassified misdemeanor).
Land was sentenced on September 29 to two to six years in prison. The Nassau County District Attorney’s Office recommended a sentence of four to nine years in prison.
“Kelyse Land had no regard for the safety of others when she got behind the wheel last July while drunk and high, and her actions caused a head-on crash that seriously injured a pair of teenagers,” Nassau DA Anne Donnelly said. “Drunk or impaired driving has been an epidemic for too long in Nassau County, and my office has worked closely with law enforcement for years to curb this behavior with serious consequences. Today’s sentence serves as a reminder that there is a no-tolerance policy for driving drunk or high, and my office will fully hold offenders accountable.”