The driver in a January 2025 drug-influenced crash that left two passengers dead and one injured pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicular homicide on March 23, District Attorney Anne Donnelly said in a statement.
Jaden D’Souza, 20, from Queens, was driving on the Southern State Parkway with his sister Haily D’Souza, 21, Crystal Alba-Figueroa, 23, and another 23-year-old passenger when he lost control of the vehicle, ran off the road and hit a tree, according to a release from Donnelly.
Haily D’Souza and Crystal Alba-Figueroa were both pronounced dead on the scene of the Jan. 12 crash.
Donnelly recommended a sentence of seven to 21 years in prison for Jaden D’Souza, and the release said he is expected to be sentenced to seven to 18 years at his May 8 court date.
“This defendant, high on marijuana, handled his car like he was playing an arcade game, zipping through traffic and speeding along the bends and curves of the Southern State Parkway at more than 120 miles per hour,” said Donnelly in the statement. “His reckless disregard for his passengers – his family and friends – ended with his sister and a friend dead, and another passenger who is lucky to be alive today.”
D’Souza pleaded guilty before Judge Caryn Fink.
The crash didn’t just result in two deaths. The release said the third passenger was taken to Nassau University Medical Center with serious physical injuries, including spinal fractures and a traumatic brain injury. D’Souza went to the same medical center for his injuries.
The release said a tire from D’Souza’s car collided with a second car on the parkway, causing a crash and injuries to the driver.
“Too many drivers are taking risks driving high or showing off at excessive speeds without considering the deadly consequences of their actions,” Donnelly said in the release. “This epidemic on our roadways must end, and I hope that this prosecution serves as an example for drivers of the accountability they will face if they get behind the wheel impaired and cause a tragic crash.”
