LONG BEACH, NY – A fatal auto accident occurred in Garden City early Sunday morning, February 9, 2025, resulting in the death of a passenger and the arrest of the driver on multiple charges. According to authorities, the crash took place at approximately 4:47 a.m. on Stewart Avenue at Nassau Boulevard, where a 2007 Nissan veered off the road and struck a tree.
Upon arrival, police discovered that the driver had fled the scene on foot, leaving behind a severely injured rear passenger. The victim, identified as 27-year-old Marco Antonio Zuniga of Long Beach, suffered traumatic injuries and was transported to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased by medical staff.
A short time later, Garden City police located the driver, 28-year-old Christian Velasquez-Galeano, also of Long Beach. Following an investigation, authorities determined that Velasquez-Galeano had been driving under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash. He was taken into custody without incident and charged with Driving While Intoxicated (DWI), Vehicular Manslaughter, Second-Degree Vehicular Manslaughter, and Operating a Vehicle Without an Interlock Device.
Velasquez-Galeano was scheduled to be arraigned on Monday, February 10, 2025, at First District Court in Hempstead.
