Nassau Man Indicted For Wrong Way Crash On L.I.E. That Seriously Injured Another Driver: DA

MINEOLA, NY — A Hempstead man was indicted on aggravated vehicular assault, reckless endangerment and other charges for driving the wrong way on the Long Island Expressway and seriously injuring the driver of the other vehicle, prosecutors said.

Jorge Arias Reyes, 49, was arraigned on Friday. He was also faces charges of first-degree vehicular assault, second-degree assault, second-degree vehicular assault and aggravated driving while intoxicated and driving while intoxicated, Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly said.

Reyes' bail was set at $90,000 cash, $180,000 bond and $900,000 partially secured bond, and his driver’s license was suspended.

According to the indictment, on the evening of May 18, Reyes was driving a 2009 Honda Odyssey westbound in the eastbound lanes of the Long Island Expressway near Exit 37 in Roslyn.

He traveled the wrong way in his vehicle for several miles before he eventually collided head-on with a 2014 Toyota Prius, driven by the 51-year-old victim, Donnelly said.

After his arrest, it was determined that Reyes' blood alcohol content was .24 percent, allegedly three times the legal limit, prosecutors said.

The victim was transported to an area hospital with a fractured tibia and a dislocated hip. Reyes was also transported to a hospital with serious injuries.

“Jorge Reyes drove the wrong way on the Long Island Expressway for miles while extremely intoxicated, with countless cars on the road. His reckless, criminal actions could have easily turned deadly. As a result, the other driver in the crash fractured his tibia and dislocated his hip, serious injuries that will take a long time to heal,” said DA Donnelly. “This defendant’s alleged offenses are among the most serious on our roads, and I have no tolerance for it."

He is due back in court on August 7. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison.