A speeding car crash on Long Island’s Southern State Parkway claimed the lives of two young women late Sunday night. The driver, a 19-year-old suspected of being under the influence of drugs, lost control of the vehicle, causing a fatal collision, authorities said.
The incident occurred around 11 p.m. near Exit 30 in Oyster Bay. According to New York State Police, Jaden Dsouza, of College Point, Queens, was driving a 2016 Dodge Dart at a high rate of speed, weaving in and out of lanes before crashing into a tree on the shoulder of the parkway.
The crash resulted in the deaths of two backseat passengers: 21-year-old Haily Dsouza and 23-year-old Crystal Alba-Figueroa. Authorities reported that Alba-Figueroa was ejected from the vehicle upon impact, while Haily Dsouza was trapped inside. Both were pronounced dead at the scene.
Jaden Dsouza and a front-seat passenger, identified as 23-year-old Anthonie Marte of East Elmhurst, sustained serious injuries and were transported to a local hospital. Their current conditions have not been updated.
Jaden Dsouza has been charged with several felonies, including driving while impaired by drugs, second-degree manslaughter, first-degree vehicular manslaughter, second-degree assault, and aggravated vehicular homicide. State police have not disclosed the relationship between the vehicle’s four occupants.
Photos from the crash site show the Dodge Dart completely totaled and flipped upside-down near a wrong-way sign. No other vehicles were involved in the collision. Eastbound lanes of the Southern State Parkway were closed between Exit 29 and Exit 30 until 5:30 a.m. Monday to allow for cleanup and investigation.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the circumstances leading up to the crash.
