A Woodmere man was indicted for allegedly driving recklessly while intoxicated and crashing into a tree in Rockville Centre, killing his 28-year-old cousin and seriously injuring another passenger two years ago.
On September 17, 2023, at approximately 4:23 a.m., Brian Antonio Lopez Cruz was allegedly driving southbound on Peninsula Boulevard in a 2010 Nissan Altima with two passengers at a high rate of speed. He lost control of the vehicle, drove off the roadway, and crashed into a tree in a wooded area on the western shoulder.
Twenty-eight-year-old Merlin Lopez was killed instantly. Another 32-year-old passenger was transported to NYU Langone Hospital Long Island, where it was determined she suffered a fractured pelvis and ribs and a perforated colon, which required extensive surgery. Lopez Cruz sustained head trauma and significant internal bleeding and underwent surgery at NYU Langone Hospital Long Island.
An extensive investigation after the crash revealed that Lopez Cruz was at a bar in Hempstead earlier that night for several hours and allegedly consumed multiple alcoholic drinks.
The defendant was arrested on August 4, 2025, by Nassau County Police Department detectives.
Lopez Cruz, 22, was arraigned on August 6 before Judge Tammy Robbins on grand jury indictment charges of Aggravated Vehicular Homicide (a Class B felony); Manslaughter in the Second Degree (a Class C felony); Vehicular Manslaughter in the Second Degree and two counts of Assault in the Second Degree (all Class D felonies); Vehicular Assault in the Second Degree (a Class E felony); Driving While Intoxicated, Per Se, Driving While Intoxicated and Reckless Driving (all unclassified misdemeanors).
The defendant pleaded not guilty and was remanded. He is due back in court on August 27, 2025. If convicted, he faces up to 8-1/3 to 25 years in prison.
“This defendant allegedly spent the evening drinking beer with family and friends before getting behind the wheel with two passengers in his car and recklessly speeding along Peninsula Boulevard,” said Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly. “Speed and alcohol are a deadly combination and Lopez Cruz’s alleged actions ended the life of a young relative who just wanted a ride home. The selfishness and recklessness on our roadways must end.”