A West Hempstead woman pleaded guilty to manslaughter and related charges for the death of two of her teenage passengers in a high-speed crash in October 2021.
Nylah Frazier, 20, pleaded guilty before Judge Caryn Fink to two counts of second-degree manslaughter (a C felony) and two counts of second-degree assault (a D violent felony). Frazier is due back in court on May 22.
Frazier is expected to be sentenced to three to nine years in prison. The NCDA recommended a sentence of seven to twelve years in prison.
On October 21, 2021, at approximately 1:00 a.m., the defendant was driving a BMW X3 at a high rate of speed going northbound on Westminster Road in West Hempstead. The defendant ran a red light, lost control of the vehicle and crashed into the back of a parked dump truck. The impact of the crash caused the vehicle to flip and eject two passengers – Amanda Arguinzoni, 17, and Kurtis Caesar, 19, both of whom were killed instantly.
Arguinzoni was a senior at West Hempstead High School, while Caesar was a recent graduate of Cambria Heights Academy in Queens and worked for FedEx.
After a lengthy investigation, Frazier surrendered to members of the Nassau County Police Department on July 20, 2022.
“Amanda Arguinzoni and Kurtis Caesar had their entire lives in front of them and lost those lives in an instant due to the selfish and reckless actions of Nylah Frazier,” said Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly. “It is a miracle that no one else lost their lives that evening. We continue to express our condolences to the Arguinzoni and Caesar families.”