Incident location, Long Island
What Happened
A violent crash on the Southern State Parkway in Hempstead claimed the life of a rear-seat passenger and left two others hospitalized on Sunday, December 14, 2025, after the intoxicated driver lost control of his vehicle and struck a tree, New York State Police announced.
Responding troopers located a Hyundai Sonata on the right shoulder of the Southern State Parkway, where it had come to rest after slamming into a tree. The vehicle was carrying five occupants at the time of the crash: the driver and one front-seat passenger, as well as three passengers in the rear seat. According to New York State Police, as reported by the Hempstead Daily Voice, the driver and the front-seat passenger were not injured in the collision.
The three rear-seat passengers bore the full brunt of the impact. Two of the back-seat occupants were transported to Jamaica Hospital for treatment of their injuries, while a third rear-seat passenger died at the scene. State police did not release the name of the deceased or the two hospitalized passengers as of the initial announcement on December 14, 2025.
The driver, identified as Deodat J. Ramotar, 35, of Jamaica, Queens, was taken into custody at the scene. The investigation by New York State Police determined that Ramotar had lost control of the Hyundai Sonata while operating it at a speed too fast for the prevailing conditions. Troopers further established that Ramotar was intoxicated at the time of the crash, making this a fatal driving while intoxicated incident. Hempstead Daily Voice reported the New York State Police announcement on Sunday afternoon, December 14, 2025, at approximately 3:19 p.m.
Following his arrest, Ramotar was processed by state police and subsequently transported to the Nassau County Detention Center, where he was held on an extensive series of charges related to the crash, the death of the rear-seat passenger, and the injuries sustained by the two hospitalized occupants.
Location & Road Context
The crash took place on the Southern State Parkway, one of Long Island’s most heavily traveled limited-access roadways, running east-west through Nassau and Suffolk counties. The parkway serves as a primary commuter and recreational corridor connecting communities across Hempstead and the broader Nassau County region. The vehicle came to rest on the right shoulder after striking a tree — a roadside hazard common along older parkway alignments that were designed before modern clear-zone safety standards. The Southern State Parkway has been the site of multiple serious crashes in recent months; a separate crash on the Southern State Parkway was recorded as recently as May 25, 2026, underscoring the corridor’s ongoing safety challenges. Hempstead has also seen a pattern of serious and fatal roadway incidents, including a fatal vehicular accident in May 2026.
Investigation & Legal Proceedings
New York State Police charged Deodat J. Ramotar, 35, of Jamaica, Queens, with a sweeping set of criminal counts following the fatal crash. According to New York State Police, as reported by Hempstead Daily Voice, the charges include: Driving While Intoxicated; Vehicular Manslaughter – Operate Motor Vehicle Impaired Causing Death; Vehicular Manslaughter – Recklessly Causing Death; two counts of Assault in the Third Degree; Assault in the Second Degree – Recklessly Causing Serious Physical Injury; and Reckless Endangerment in the Second Degree. Ramotar also faces multiple Vehicle and Traffic Law violations. The dual vehicular manslaughter charges reflect the layered prosecutorial approach New York State typically employs when a death results from both alcohol impairment and reckless operation simultaneously.
After being processed by state police, Ramotar was transported to the Nassau County Detention Center. As of the initial December 14 announcement, no arraignment date or bail information had been made publicly available. The investigation remains active, and state police have not indicated whether additional charges may follow as the case develops.
Broader Impact
Under New York State law, a conviction on Vehicular Manslaughter in the Second Degree — operating a motor vehicle while impaired and causing a death — carries a potential sentence of up to seven years in state prison; the more serious first-degree vehicular manslaughter charge can carry up to fifteen years. Ramotar faces both manslaughter counts simultaneously, in addition to the assault and reckless endangerment charges, meaning the cumulative sentencing exposure in this case is substantial. Riders and commuters using the Southern State Parkway are encouraged to report suspected impaired drivers by calling 911, as New York State Police maintain an active presence on the parkway corridor year-round.