A 22-year-old Woodmere man was indicted for Aggravated Vehicular Homicide and other charges for allegedly driving recklessly while intoxicated and killing his cousin.
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. Lopez Cruz 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 the defendant was at a bar in Hempstead earlier that night for several hours and allegedly consumed multiple alcoholic drinks.
Lopez Cruz was arrested on August 4, 2025, by Nassau County Police Department detectives. Lopez Cruz was arraigned Monday 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 (a Class D felony), two counts of Assault in the Second Degree (a Class D violent felony), Vehicular Assault in the Second Degree (a Class E felony), Driving While Intoxicated, Per Se (an unclassified misdemeanor); Driving While Intoxicated (an unclassified misdemeanor) and Reckless Driving (an unclassified misdemeanor).
Lopez Cruz pleaded not guilty and was remanded. He is due back in court on August 27. 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 T. 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.”