Man Sentenced In DWI Crash That Killed Girl, 6, 'A Bright Light': DA

MINEOLA, NY — A Freeport man was sentenced to six to 12 years in prison for a crash that killed a young girl last year, prosecutors said.

Jorge Bonilla Gutierrez, 19, pleaded guilty in June to second-degree manslaughter, second-degree assault, two counts of third-degree assault and driving while intoxicated, Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly said.

"Katerine Vanegas Hernandez was a bright light in her family, a best friend to her little brother, and a happy child excited to celebrate her seventh birthday in just two short days. This defendant, driving drunk and recklessly on Hempstead Turnpike, stole young Katerine’s life when he struck her mother’s car and tore apart this close and loving family," Donnelly said. "Katerine’s loss – so senselessly and tragically at the hands of a drunk driver – is unfathomable."

During the overnight hours of Aug. 7, 2023, Bonilla Gutierrez was intoxicated, speeding and drove through a red light when he crashed into the rear of the vehicle in West Hempstead, Donnelly said.

The force of the impact sent the victim's Corolla off the roadway and into a tree, while Bonilla Gutierrez's Nissan Pathfinder flipped multiple times, the D.A. said.

Bonilla Gutierrez slammed into the rear driver’s side of the stationary vehicle, causing significant internal injuries to passenger six-year-old Katerine Vanegas Hernandez, who died a short time later at a hospital, Donnelly said.

The victim’s five-year-old brother suffered a fractured spine, while the driver of the Corolla suffered multiple broken ribs, Donnelly said.