Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly announced that a Laurelton man pleaded guilty to Aggravated Vehicular Homicide and other charges for a high-speed crash on the Southern State Parkway in November 2022 that propelled both vehicles onto the shoulder of the highway and killed three victims.
Matthew Whyte, 29, pleaded guilty today before Judge Christopher Quinn to Aggravated Vehicular Homicide (a B felony); three counts of Manslaughter in the Second Degree (a C felony); one count of Assault in the Second Degree (a D felony); and Driving While Ability Impaired by Drugs (an unclassified misdemeanor).
The defendant is expected to be sentenced to 4 ½ - 13 ½ years in prison on April 24, 2025. NCDA is recommending a sentence of 7 to 21 years in prison.
“This defendant’s guilty plea cannot undo the devastating tragedy that took place along the Southern State Parkway over two years ago,” said DA Donnelly. “Driving at such a high rate of speed poses an immense risk to others who share the road. Doing so while under the influence of drugs is enormously irresponsible and can often result in deadly consequences. Our hearts go out to the families of Ciara, Florence, and Jean.”
DA Donnelly said that on November 5, 2022, at approximately 8:56 p.m., 18-year-old Ciara Hare was driving her 2004 Honda Civic eastbound on the Southern State Parkway near Exit 32 (Route 110, Broadway) with passengers 18-year-old Florence Oprisan and 22-year-old Jean Marc Miller.
At approximately the same time, Whyte was driving his 2018 Subaru WRX in the same direction near the exit, at a high rate of speed, weaving in and out of lanes of traffic and while impaired by marijuana. An unidentified individual in a third vehicle was also speeding, and driving recklessly, and appeared to be racing Whyte.
Whyte crashed into Hare’s vehicle, forcing the vehicle off the roadway and into a traffic camera pole on the right shoulder of the parkway. Whyte’s vehicle also left the roadway, overturned, and landed in the wooded shoulder of the parkway a short distance away. The third unidentified vehicle did not crash and drove away.
Both vehicles were severely damaged in the crash. Whyte sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to Good Samaritan Hospital.
Hare suffered extensive injuries and was trapped in the driver’s seat of her vehicle. She was pronounced dead at the scene at approximately 9:20 p.m.
Miller was ejected from the vehicle and suffered extensive injuries. He succumbed to his injuries on November 11, 2022, at approximately 2:46 a.m. at Nassau University Medical Center.
Oprisan was partially ejected through the front windshield and suffered life threatening injuries. She was taken to Nassau University Medical Center where she was pronounced dead on November 11, 2022, at approximately 2:59 a.m.
According to the event data recorder from Whyte’s vehicle, the defendant was driving approximately 93 miles per hour five seconds before he struck the victims’ vehicle. Blood taken from the defendant at the hospital revealed 6.8 mcg/L of active marijuana approximately four hours after the crash.
The defendant surrendered to the New York State Police on December 7, 2023.
The case is being prosecuted by Senior Litigation Counsel Tara DePalo and Senior Assistant District Attorney Nicole Vota of the Vehicular Crimes Bureau under the supervision of Bureau Chief Michael Bushwack, and under the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for the Litigation Division Kevin Higgins. The defendant is represented by Steve Raiser, Esq.