Incident location, Long Island
What Happened
Diana Kutateladze, 36, of Oceanside is accused of driving drunk when she lost control of her family’s Cadillac Escalade on the Southern State Parkway near Malverne on March 15, slamming head-on into a Toyota Highlander and killing an elderly couple inside, authorities said. The six-car crash near Exit 17S killed church pastor Donald Maxwell, 82, and his 88-year-old wife Liscent of Westbury, according to prosecutors.
Her husband, Teimurazi Kutateladze, 40, was critically injured as a passenger in the March 15 crash and remains hospitalized, said a spokesperson for Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly. Court records show Teimurazi Kutateladze suffered a C1 cervical spine fracture, an extensive internal brain bleed, femur fractures in both legs, broken ribs and lacerations — all requiring surgery, according to the criminal complaint against his wife.
In a striking revelation, court records show that Teimurazi Kutateladze had his own pending DWI case at the time of the fatal crash — involving the same Cadillac Escalade his wife was driving when she allegedly caused the deadly collision. Teimurazi Kutateladze was charged with DWI and driving while ability impaired by alcohol late on October 1 after slamming into the back of a car in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, while driving the family SUV, according to court documents.
Diana Kutateladze told authorities she had consumed “a mixed beverage, whiskey and coke” before getting behind the wheel on March 15, according to the criminal complaint in her case. A preliminary breath test at Mount Sinai South Nassau hospital registered a .10 percent blood alcohol content, above the legal limit of .08 percent, the complaint alleges.
In her husband’s October 1 arrest, court records show Teimurazi Kutateladze was arrested after rear-ending a vehicle at Avenue Z and Ocean Avenue while driving the Escalade. An officer noted a strong odor of alcohol, bloodshot eyes and an unsteady balance, court records indicate. After refusing a chemical test and declining to answer further questions by NYPD cops, Kutateladze was arrested, according to legal documents.
The Maxwell couple had been married for nearly 60 years before their deaths in the March 15 wreck. Donald Maxwell served as a church pastor, and both were longtime Westbury residents who were remembered by their community following the tragic crash.
Court records also reveal that Teimurazi Kutateladze was named alongside Lyft, Inc. as a defendant in a 2021 civil lawsuit filed in Kings County Supreme Court. A Brooklyn woman alleged she was struck by his vehicle while on foot at the intersection of Ditmas Avenue and East 8th Street in July 2020 and suffered serious personal injuries. The case was discontinued with prejudice in November 2024, a resolution consistent with an out-of-court settlement.
The Kutateladzes have three young children: twin boys, age 6, and a 4-year-old daughter, according to court records. Both Diana and Teimurazi Kutateladze have court-appointed defense attorneys — Taryn Shecter represents Diana, while Aicha Elola represents Teimurazi. Neither attorney returned calls for comment.
Location & Road Context
The fatal collision occurred on the Southern State Parkway near Exit 17S in the Malverne area, one of Long Island’s major east-west arteries connecting Nassau and Suffolk counties. This section of the parkway carries heavy commuter traffic and connects to several major roadways in the region.
The crash site near Malverne is in a busy corridor that serves both local traffic accessing nearby communities and long-distance commuters traveling between New York City and eastern Long Island destinations.
Investigation & Legal Proceedings
Diana Kutateladze faces a comprehensive array of charges including aggravated vehicular homicide, first- and second-degree vehicular manslaughter, second-degree assault, DWI and reckless driving, among other charges and violations. She was arraigned on March 18 on the bevy of felony charges in Nassau County court.
Her husband’s separate DWI case from his October 1 arrest in Brooklyn remains active. Teimurazi Kutateladze pleaded not guilty to the DWI and driving while ability impaired charges and was released without bail. His next court appearance in the Brooklyn case is scheduled for June 1 in Kings County Criminal Court. He was originally due in court on that case March 18 — the same day his wife was arraigned on the fatal crash charges — but that appearance was adjourned due to his hospitalization from the parkway crash.
The Nassau County District Attorney’s office spokesperson declined to comment on the husband’s drunk driving charge, citing the ongoing nature of both cases. The investigation into the fatal parkway crash continues as prosecutors build their case against Diana Kutateladze.
Broader Impact
The case highlights an unusual circumstance where both spouses in a family had pending or active DWI charges involving the same vehicle within months of each other. New York’s aggravated vehicular homicide charge that Diana Kutateladze faces carries a potential sentence of 8⅓ to 25 years in prison, reflecting the state’s enhanced penalties for drunk driving cases that result in deaths.