A driver involved in a deadly crash on the Long Island Expressway has been sentenced to a prison term stretching a possible 21 years. Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz confirmed the sentencing of Reginald Nash, 26, of Roosevelt, for causing a fatal collision while under the influence of alcohol. In a statement obtained by Queens District Attorney's Office, Katz articulated, "The defendant put this terrible course of events in motion when he took the wheel under the influence of alcohol."
The November 2023 incident resulted in the death of Cameron Mency, a 23-year-old passenger. Nash was reportedly driving the vehicle at approximately 89 mph before slamming into an exit barrier. This error in judgment led to a chain-reaction collision involving multiple vehicles. Nash pled guilty to aggravated vehicular homicide and assault in the second degree and has been handed down an indeterminate sentence of seven to 21 years in prison.
Following the initial impact, Nash's car, a 2021 Honda Accord, spun out and struck another vehicle, which then collided with a Kia, causing extensive damage. The accident ejected Mency, who was found approximately 90 feet from where the initial crash occurred and was pronounced dead at a local hospital. Three other passengers were seriously injured, including one who, according to the report by the Queens District Attorney's Office, "sustained serious injuries requiring multiple back surgeries" and another who has "not regained full mobility" after a surgery for a fractured tibia. Nash's sister was also among the injured.
During the investigation, it was revealed that Nash had a blood alcohol level of .12 percent, exceeding the state's legal limit of .08 percent. The vehicle’s black box uncovered the car to be traveling to tragically fast just before the collision. Assistant District Attorney Alexia Campoverde prosecuted the case with assistance from various members of the Queens District Attorney's Office.
