What you should know
The man suspected of killing a married Dominican couple after crashing into their car in early August while allegedly driving drunk and speeding on Long Island pleaded not guilty Tuesday to several charges, including aggravated vehicular manslaughter. Sotirios Spanos, 33, was arraigned Tuesday before Judge Howard Sturim on charges of aggravated vehicular homicide, first-degree vehicular homicide, two counts of second-degree vehicular homicide, two counts of second-degree manslaughter, two counts of second-degree assault, two counts of driving while intoxicated and reckless driving. The tragic accident occurred on August 12, around 12:31 am, when Odalis and Ismenia, 37, were returning home after had dinner and were traveling in a convertible heading west along Northern Boulevardnearly Moores Hill Road in Laurel Hollow.
NEW YORK — The suspect who killed a married Dominican couple after crashing into their car in early August while allegedly driving drunk and speeding on Long Island pleaded not guilty Tuesday to several charges, including aggravated vehicular homicide.
Sotirios Spanos, 33, was arraigned Tuesday before Judge Howard Sturim on charges of aggravated vehicular homicide, first-degree vehicular homicide, two counts of second-degree vehicular homicide, two counts of second-degree manslaughter, two counts of second-degree assault, two counts of driving while intoxicated and reckless driving.
“Ismenia and Odalis Ureña had two little daughters. Ismenia was a recently published author and worked as a certified life coach. Her husband, Odalis, owned a successful construction company. The couple was having the time of their lives and, in an instant, this defendant allegedly took everything while he was speeding down Northern Boulevard at 100 miles per hour,” said District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly. “Now Ureña’s children are without their mother and father and a community is in mourning. Drunk and reckless driving has cost too many innocent lives on Long Island. “Our thoughts are with all those who loved Ismenia and Odalis Ureña as we prosecute this case.”
The tragic accident occurred on August 12, around 12:31 am, when Odalis and Ismenia, 37, were returning home after dinner and traveling in a convertible heading west on Northern Boulevardnearly Moores Hill Road in Laurel Hollow.
At that time, the defendant, who was allegedly traveling in a 2023 Acura MDX eastbound on Northern Boulevard at high speed and while intoxicated, he would have crossed into traffic coming in the opposite direction and hit the passenger side of the Ureñas’ vehicle head-on and went over the car.
According to the event data recorder inside the Acura, Spanos was allegedly driving at a speed of approximately 100 miles per hour. He allegedly began braking 1.5 seconds before impact and struck the victims’ vehicle at approximately 84.5 miles per hour.
Ismenia Ureña was pronounced dead at the scene. Odalis Ureña was taken to Huntington Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 1:32 a.m. The couple left behind two daughters, ages 14 and 8.
The defendant was allegedly consuming twice the legal limit of alcohol more than three hours after the collision.
“Who knew a night out would end this way? with two orphan girls,” said Crismairy Rodríguez, sister of Ismenia Ureña.
“My granddaughters, that daughter of mine, the oldest one, looks so much like my daughter that when I see her I see her. The little girl to her father. Something must be done for the entire world so that these tragedies do not continue to happen,” added Rosanna Rodríguez, mother of Ismenia Ureña. “They were people who came together to do good in this world and I know that they are still in heaven doing good.”
Ismenia and Odalis were two Dominican immigrants who arrived in New York with their respective families at the age of six and met in the Big Apple.
“For him there was nothing difficult, he faced the most difficult things and with that courage he solved everything,” said Pedro Ureña, father of Odalis Ureña.
With effort, Odalis built his construction company, while Ismenia was a life counselor and had just published her autobiography.
“For me it’s like it’s still the first day. Every day you wake up it’s like it’s the first day because I don’t have my daughter to call. I am not going to delete her phone number from my phone because I am going to continue calling her,” said Rosanna Rodríguez.
Odalis’s parents were in the Dominican Republic and had to travel to New York in an emergency.
“Let the prayers continue for us who need a lot of strength…he who drinks alcohol is not supposed to drink, call a better taxi or a friend who is not drinking,” said Pedro Ureña, father of Odalis Ureña.
The case is due back in court on October 17, 2023. If convicted, the defendant faces up to 25 years in prison.
2023-10-03 19:49:01
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