Incident location, Long Island
What Happened
A Moriches teen has admitted to driving drunk and at more than double the posted speed limit in a crash that killed a fellow teenager in Suffolk County, according to News 12 Long Island. Luis Gonzalo Barrionuevo Fuertes, 18, of Moriches, pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide on February 12, 2026, in connection with the deadly June 2025 crash that claimed the life of Scarleth Samaniego-Urgiles, a junior at East Hampton High School.
On the night of the crash in June 2025, Barrionuevo Fuertes had seven teens packed into his Toyota Camry — himself included — as the group made their way toward a beach in East Hampton, prosecutors say. Instead of reaching their destination, the night ended in catastrophe when Barrionuevo Fuertes, driving while intoxicated, lost control of the vehicle and struck a tree. At the time of the collision, News 12 Long Island reports, he was traveling at 74 mph in a posted 30 mph zone — nearly two and a half times the legal speed limit on that stretch of road.
The consequences were devastating. Scarleth Samaniego-Urgiles, who was described as a junior at East Hampton High School, was killed in the crash. She was among the six passengers crammed into the Camry alongside Barrionuevo Fuertes. In addition to the fatal injury, at least one other teen suffered severe physical trauma: according to Suffolk District Attorney Ray Tierney, another passenger broke their spine as a result of the violent impact with the tree.
Suffolk District Attorney Ray Tierney highlighted the extreme recklessness involved in the crash, noting the combination of drunk driving, gross speeding, and the dangerous overcrowding of the vehicle — seven teenagers in a single Toyota Camry — as factors that led to the irreversible tragedy. The case drew significant attention in Suffolk County as a stark example of the deadly consequences that impaired and reckless driving can have on young people, particularly during summer months when teens are more likely to be out in groups.
Barrionuevo Fuertes was 18 years old at the time of the crash, making him legally an adult. His guilty plea to vehicular homicide, entered in February 2026, followed months of legal proceedings that began after the June 2025 collision. No additional details about how the investigation unfolded between the crash and the guilty plea have been released publicly, but the charge itself reflects the severity of the conduct involved — driving while intoxicated and at extreme speed with multiple passengers aboard.
Location & Road Context
The crash occurred somewhere along the route between Moriches and East Hampton on Long Island’s East End, a stretch that winds through Suffolk County and includes a mix of residential streets, county roads, and state highways, many of which carry posted speed limits of 30 to 40 mph. The specific road where the tree strike occurred has not been publicly identified in the available reports, but the 30 mph speed limit at the crash site suggests a local or residential road rather than a major parkway or expressway.
The East End of Long Island, including the Hamptons corridor, sees elevated summer traffic as beachgoers and vacationers flood the area between June and September each year. Local roads in this region are frequently traveled by younger drivers unfamiliar with their layouts, and the presence of trees close to the roadway edge is common throughout the area, making high-speed crashes particularly lethal. You can track current conditions and incidents along East End roads on our live traffic map.
Investigation & Legal Proceedings
Barrionuevo Fuertes pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide, according to News 12 Long Island, with the plea entered on February 12, 2026. Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney’s office prosecuted the case, with Tierney himself publicly confirming the details of the crash, including the speed at the time of impact, the condition of the driver, and the serious spinal injury suffered by one of the surviving passengers.
Sentencing is scheduled for March 2026. Barrionuevo Fuertes faces a maximum sentence of up to 12 years in prison, reflecting the gravity of the vehicular homicide charge under New York State law. The case underscores the serious criminal exposure that drunk driving fatalities carry in New York, particularly when egregious factors — such as traveling at 74 mph in a 30 mph zone with a car full of passengers — are present at the time of the crash. If you or a loved one are navigating the legal aftermath of a serious traffic incident in Suffolk County, our Know Your Rights guide offers an overview of how these cases typically proceed.
Broader Impact
Under New York State law, vehicular manslaughter in the second degree — the charge most commonly associated with DWI-related fatal crashes — carries a maximum sentence of up to seven years, while vehicular manslaughter in the first degree, which applies when aggravating factors are present, can result in sentences of up to 15 years. The fact that Barrionuevo Fuertes faces up to 12 years reflects the aggravated nature of the conduct: driving at nearly 150% over the speed limit, while intoxicated, with a vehicle overcrowded well beyond its safe passenger capacity. For Long Island families affected by DWI-related crashes, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office maintains victim services resources for those impacted by violent and vehicular crimes.