Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly announced that a Queens man was indicted for Aggravated Vehicular Homicide and other charges for a high-speed crash on the Southern State Parkway in North Massapequa that killed his 21-year-old sister and another 23-year-old female passenger in January.
Jaden D’Souza, 20, was arraigned Wednesday before Judge Caryn Fink on grand jury indictment charges of Aggravated Vehicular Homicide (a B felony); Vehicular Manslaughter in the First Degree (a C felony); two counts of Manslaughter in the Second Degree (a C felony); two counts of Vehicular Manslaughter in the Second Degree (a D felony); three counts of Assault in the Second Degree (a D violent felony); Vehicular Assault in the Second Degree (an E felony); Assault in the Third Degree (an A misdemeanor); Driving While Ability Impaired by Drugs (an unclassified misdemeanor); and Reckless Driving (an unclassified misdemeanor).
The defendant’s bail was continued at $500,000 bond. He is due back in court on June 2, 2025. If convicted, he faces up to 8-1/3 to 25 years in prison.
“Jaden D’Souza was allegedly high on marijuana, zipping through traffic, and flooring the gas when he lost control and flipped his car into a tree on the shoulder of the Southern State Parkway,” said DA Donnelly. “The impact from the horrific crash violently ejected Crystal Alba-Figueroa from the vehicle and trapped the defendant’s 21-year-old sister Haily in the backseat, killing them both. The defendant’s front seat passenger barely made it out of the crash alive, with significant physical injuries and brain trauma. Evidence of the defendant’s alleged drug use, including numerous packages of THC-infused products found in the vehicle and scattered around the debris field. Driving high is driving impaired. It is never a safe choice, and it can have catastrophic, heartbreaking consequences. Our thoughts are with Crystal and Haily’s families as we prosecute this preventable tragedy.”
DA Donnelly said that, according to the indictment, on January 12, 2025, at approximately 11:05 p.m. the defendant was driving a 2016 Dodge Dart eastbound on the Southern State Parkway near Exit 30, carrying his sister, 21-year-old Haily D’Souza and 23-year-old Crystal Alba-Figueroa in the backseat, and another 23-year-old male passenger in the front seat.
The defendant was allegedly traveling in and out of lanes at a high rate of speed when he lost control of the vehicle, drove off the road, and crashed into a tree on the grassy shoulder.
The vehicle came to rest upside down on the shoulder.
Alba-Figueroa was ejected from the defendant’s vehicle and pronounced deceased at the scene.
Haily D’Souza was trapped in the rear passenger seat and was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The 23-year-old male passenger was taken to Nassau University Medical Center (NUMC) with serious physical injuries, including spinal fractures and a traumatic brain injury.
The defendant was transported to NUMC and treated for his injuries.
During the crash, a spare tire became dislodged from the defendant’s vehicle and struck another vehicle traveling eastbound on the Southern State Parkway, causing that vehicle to crash into a guardrail, injuring the driver.
During the investigation of the crash, police allegedly recovered several cannabis products in the crash debris and in the vehicle, including THC-infused products, rolling papers, a bong and lighters.
A search warrant for the defendant’s hospital blood taken the evening of the crash revealed the sample contained a high level of the active and impairing component of cannabis.
The event data recorder inside of the defendant’s vehicle showed that the defendant was allegedly driving 123 miles per hour when he lost control of the vehicle.
The defendant was arrested at NUMC on January 13, 2025, by members of the New York State Police.
The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Bureau Chief Katie Zizza and Assistant District Attorney Alexandra Russell 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 Donald Rollock, Esq.
The charges are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless found guilty.