Queens Man Pleads Guilty To High-Speed Crash That Killed 3: Nassau DA

MINEOLA, NY — A Queens man pleaded guilty on Thursday in connection to a high-speed crash on the Southern State Parkway that killed three people in 2022, the Nassau County District Attorney said.

Matthew Whyte, 29, pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicular homicide, one count of second-degree assault and driving while ability impaired by drugs, prosecutors said.

He is scheduled for sentencing on April 24 and is expected to get 4 1/2 to 13 1/2 years in prison, D.A. Anne Donnelly said.

"This defendant’s guilty plea cannot undo the devastating tragedy that took place along the Southern State Parkway over two years ago," Donnelly said. "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."

On the evening of November 5, 2022, 18-year-old Ciara Hare was driving her 2004 Honda Civic eastbound on the Southern State Parkway near Exit 32 (Route 110, Broadway) with 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, prosecutors said.

An unidentified individual in a third vehicle was also speeding, and driving recklessly, and appeared to be racing Whyte, Donnelly said.

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, prosecutors said.

Hare suffered extensive injuries and was trapped in the driver’s seat of her vehicle. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Miller was ejected from the vehicle and succumbed to his injuries six days later. Oprisan was partially ejected through the front windshield and suffered life threatening injuries. She died six days after the crash, Donnelly said.

According to the event data recorder from Whyte’s vehicle, he was driving approximately 93 miles per hour five seconds before he struck the victims’ vehicle. Blood taken at the hospital revealed he had active marijuana approximately four hours after the crash, prosecutors said.

Whyte is represented by attorney Steve Raiser.