A Nassau County jury took just three hours to convict Miguel Nolasco of aggravated vehicular homicide, manslaughter, assault and driving while intoxicated in the fiery September 2024 crash that killed 30-year-old Jannai Allen in Hicksville. Prosecutors said Nolasco was driving a 2005 Honda Odyssey at roughly 100 mph — more than double the posted limit — when he slammed into Allen's car as Allen turned onto Cantiague Rock Road.
A Deadly Collision on West John Street
The crash happened on Sept. 21, 2024, when Nolasco drove his Honda Odyssey westbound on West John Street toward Prospect Avenue at more than 100 mph in a 40-mph zone, according to Daily Voice. Allen was heading eastbound on Prospect Avenue and turning left toward Cantiague Rock Road when Nolasco's minivan slammed into his vehicle, the outlet reported, causing it to burst into flames. Allen, 30, was trapped inside and pronounced dead at the scene, as previously reported by Daily Voice.
Nolasco's car did not stop immediately after impact. It continued rolling onto its side and struck several trees before finally coming to rest, according to LI Life Politics. A blood draw taken roughly an hour after the crash showed Nolasco's blood-alcohol concentration at 0.21 percent, the outlet reported — well over New York's legal limit of 0.08 percent. Nassau County prosecutors had said Nolasco was indicted on charges including aggravated vehicular homicide, manslaughter, assault, reckless driving and DWI, according to the Nassau County District Attorney.
Jury Reaches Verdict After Brief Deliberation
The case went to a jury before Judge Robert Schwartz, and jurors returned their verdict on Oct. 27 after deliberating for just three hours, convicting Nolasco of aggravated vehicular homicide, second-degree manslaughter, second-degree assault and DWI, per the same account. The swift verdict closed out a trial more than two years after Allen's death, as first reported by LI Press.
Nolasco is scheduled to return to court for sentencing on Dec. 16 and faces up to eight and one-third to 25 years in prison, according to the same outlet. Under New York law, aggravated vehicular homicide is classified as a class B felony, according to the New York State Senate, while vehicular manslaughter in the first degree is a class C felony under a separate statute from the same legislative source.
Part of a Troubling Pattern on Long Island
Nolasco's conviction adds to a string of fatal DWI cases making their way through Nassau County courts this year. A Hempstead man, Elvin Maradiaga Ortiz, was sentenced to 21 years in prison earlier this month after pleading guilty to a 2024 DWI crash that killed one of his passengers, among other violent crimes, according to LongIsland.com. In Woodmere, Brian Antonio Lopez Cruz pleaded guilty to killing his own cousin, 28-year-old Merlin Lopez, in a 2023 Peninsula Boulevard crash, Nassau prosecutors said in earlier Hoodline reporting.
Nassau County's broader road-safety numbers have also drawn scrutiny. Newsday's fatality tracker reported that traffic fatalities in the county rose from 67 in 2024 to at least 78 in 2025, according to Newsday. For now, the Nolasco case moves toward sentencing in December, when a judge will decide how much of that maximum term he will serve for the crash that killed Jannai Allen.
