Incident location, Long Island
What Happened
Diana Kutateladze, 36, of Oceanside, was driving intoxicated in her SUV on the Southern State Parkway near Malverne at around 10:15 p.m. on Sunday when she sideswiped another vehicle, spun out, and launched over a metal median guardrail into oncoming traffic, according to police. The devastating five-car crash involved 10 people and killed two victims while seriously injuring several others.
The collision claimed the lives of Donald and Liscent Barbara Maxwell, both in their 80s, who were husband and wife from Westbury. The couple had been leaders at a Far Rockaway church, according to reports. The crash scene was captured in a witness video posted on social media, showing a trail of cars pointing in all directions, with shards of glass and crumpled steel scattered across the roadway. An injured man could be seen limping away from the wreckage as the witness repeatedly said “Wow” while recording the aftermath.
Kutateladze was arraigned Tuesday on charges of aggravated vehicular homicide and other related charges stemming from the fatal wrong-way crash. Police determined she was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the collision, with prosecutors indicating she had told police she drank whiskey before driving that evening.
The multi-vehicle crash occurred in an area of the Southern State Parkway that has seen multiple serious incidents recently. Within the half-mile stretch where Sunday’s fatal crash took place, there were three serious injury crashes in 2024 and at least two crashes in 2025, according to Newsday’s crash map data. State troopers responded to the scene, placing flares around the wreckage as they investigated the collision and worked to clear the roadway.
Brittany Burton, a spokeswoman for New York State Police, which patrols the parkways, addressed the ongoing safety concerns in a statement: “We are consistently reviewing data to see where and when to add more troopers to certain areas at peak times. Every road is dangerous when drivers are drunk, distracted or speeding.” The investigation into the specific circumstances of Sunday’s crash remains ongoing.
The fatal collision has intensified long-standing concerns from Long Island residents about safety conditions on the Southern State Parkway. Jean-Pierre Clejan, a resident of Franklin Square, said he believes state police need to increase enforcement efforts. He has witnessed concerning behavior on the parkway, particularly late-night racing groups that “weave in and out, leaving inches behind and in front of my car,” according to his account of the dangerous driving patterns he regularly observes.
Location & Road Context
The Southern State Parkway has earned the distinction of being Long Island’s most dangerous road based on crash statistics. The 25.5-mile parkway recorded 137 fatalities and 846 serious injuries across more than 42,700 collisions between 2012 and 2023, according to a comprehensive Newsday analysis. When adjusted for traffic volume, the Southern State had approximately twice as many crashes as the Northern State Parkway or Long Island Expressway in 2023, with only Sunrise Highway posting a higher crash rate among major Long Island roadways.
Police have long referred to a 10-mile stretch of the Southern State Parkway roughly between Exits 17 and 31 as “Blood Alley” due to its exceptionally high rate of deadly crashes. The parkway’s crash numbers have increased dramatically, rising 23% between 2012 and 2024, which officials attribute in part to increasing traffic volumes. Long Island residents have repeatedly raised concerns about the roadway in Newsday’s online traffic safety forum, with drivers describing speeders who behave as if they are “in a NASCAR race” and calling for increased ticketing of dangerous drivers.
Investigation & Legal Proceedings
Kutateladze faces aggravated vehicular homicide charges and additional related charges following her Tuesday arraignment. The case stems from her alleged intoxicated driving that led to the wrong-way crash killing the Maxwell couple. According to court proceedings, Kutateladze admitted to police that she had consumed whiskey before getting behind the wheel of her SUV on Sunday evening.
The ongoing investigation is being handled by New York State Police, with officials continuing to examine the specific circumstances that led to the fatal multi-vehicle collision. Stephen Canzoneri, a spokesman for the state Transportation Department, declined to address why the Southern State has such a high crash rate, citing the active investigation into Sunday’s crash.
Broader Impact
The engineering design of the Southern State Parkway contributes significantly to its safety challenges, according to transportation experts. Robert Sinclair Jr. of AAA Northeast explained that the parkway, built approximately a century ago, “predates modern transportation engineering” and suffers from fundamental design flaws. “The road undulates too much. It’s too twisty, and there are blind hills — you get to the top of the hill, you can’t see down the road,” Sinclair said. “Not only are the entrance and exit ramps short, often they mix traffic that’s getting on the road with traffic that’s getting off road.”
Assemb. Michaelle Solages (D-Elmont) has introduced legislation to designate the Southern State as a highway safety corridor, a concept used in other states that would allow for increased fines, enhanced patrolling, additional signage, and speed cameras beyond the work zones where they’re currently permitted on Long Island. The bill remains in committee as lawmakers consider whether to advance the safety measures.
Transportation officials acknowledge the scope of changes needed to address the parkway’s design issues. “Increased law enforcement, that would help a lot,” Sinclair noted, while adding that physical modifications to the parkway’s design could prove beneficial but would require “a lot of engineering, a lot of construction, a whole lot of work.” The substantial costs associated with redesigning the century-old roadway present ongoing challenges for state transportation planners.
Stephen Canzoneri of the state Transportation Department emphasized that “we continuously review safety measures in place on all our highways, including the Southern State Parkway,” while noting that “safety is everyone’s responsibility and we urge motorists to drive responsibly, remain alert and do not drink and drive.” Despite the systemic challenges posed by the parkway’s outdated design, officials stress that driver behavior remains a critical factor in preventing future tragedies like the one that claimed the lives of Donald and Liscent Barbara Maxwell.