Incident location, Long Island
What Happened
Diana Kutateladze, a 36-year-old mother from Oceanside, was indicted by a Nassau County grand jury on Friday on more than 20 charges including aggravated vehicular homicide for a high-speed drunk driving crash that killed two people on the Southern State Parkway last month, prosecutors announced.
The fatal collision occurred on March 15 at approximately 10:15 p.m. when Kutateladze was driving her 2020 Cadillac Escalade westbound on the Southern State Parkway in Malverne with her husband Teimurazi in the front passenger seat, according to prosecutors. The crash began when Kutateladze allegedly sideswiped a BMW near exit 17S while traveling at 81 mph, then jumped over the center guardrail into oncoming traffic in the eastbound lanes and crashed head-on into a 2016 Toyota Highlander, authorities said.
The head-on impact instantly killed Donald Maxwell, 82, and Liscent “Barbara” Maxwell, 88, both of Westbury, when the Highlander’s passenger side was crushed, prosecutors said. The Maxwells were pastors at the Pentecostal City Mission Church in Far Rockaway and were driving home from a church event at the time of the crash. The 71-year-old driver of the Highlander sustained serious injuries including fractured ribs and a compound fracture of his hand that required surgery and the insertion of metal hardware, according to the district attorney. The man also suffered a significant heart injury that requires ongoing treatment and monitoring, prosecutors said.
Kutateladze’s husband Teimurazi, 40, was critically injured and left trapped inside the couple’s SUV during the crash. First responders had to extricate him before transporting him to Mount Sinai South Nassau Hospital, where he was placed on a ventilator. He suffered multiple broken bones and significant head trauma resulting in a brain bleed, court documents show. He required the insertion of a titanium plate to stabilize his midsection and remains hospitalized more than a month after the crash, according to the district attorney.
Blood drawn from Diana Kutateladze at the hospital revealed her blood alcohol concentration was .15 percent approximately one hour after the crash — nearly double the legal limit of .08 percent, prosecutors said. Kutateladze told authorities she had consumed “a mixed beverage, whiskey and coke” before getting behind the wheel, according to the original criminal complaint. Her vehicle’s crash data recorder indicated she was speeding at 81 mph five seconds before the crash, Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly said.
The head-on collision triggered a chain reaction that caused a five-car pileup. Three other vehicles crashed into the wreckage, leaving drivers with an array of injuries including whiplash, back pain and knee trauma that will likely require surgery, prosecutors said. The collision shut down part of the Southern State Parkway for several hours as emergency crews worked to extricate victims and clear the road of debris.
Kutateladze pleaded not guilty Friday before Judge Howard Sturim to the extensive list of charges. The grand jury indictment includes two counts of aggravated vehicular homicide, first-degree vehicular manslaughter, two counts of second-degree manslaughter, aggravated vehicle assault, two counts of second-degree vehicular manslaughter, first-degree vehicular assault, two counts of second-degree vehicular assault and four counts of second-degree assault. She is additionally charged with driving while intoxicated (felony), five counts of third-degree assault, driving while intoxicated (misdemeanor), and reckless driving, according to prosecutors.
“A husband and wife who spent their lives serving the community are dead because this defendant allegedly drove drunk instead of just staying home,” Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly said. “Diana Kutateladze was allegedly driving more than 80 miles per hour while intoxicated when she crashed into one car, crossed into oncoming traffic, and crashed head-on into the victims’ vehicle.”
Location & Road Context
The crash occurred on the Southern State Parkway in Malverne near exit 17S, a busy stretch of the parkway that connects multiple Nassau County communities. The Southern State Parkway has recorded 321 incidents in traffic databases, with recent incidents including various roadwork operations and crashes along the corridor. The parkway serves as a major east-west artery through Nassau and Suffolk counties, carrying heavy traffic volumes during both peak and off-peak hours.
The specific location where the crash began near exit 17S is in a section where the parkway runs through densely populated suburban areas, with the center guardrail serving as the primary barrier between opposing traffic flows.
Investigation & Legal Proceedings
State police arrested Kutateladze shortly after the wreck, initially charging her with aggravated vehicular homicide, first- and second-degree vehicular manslaughter, second-degree assault, driving while intoxicated and reckless driving. The grand jury indictment significantly expanded the charges to more than 20 counts. Judge Howard Sturim ordered Kutateladze to be held in jail following her not guilty plea on Friday.
If convicted, the mother of three young children faces between 8-1/3 and 25 years in prison, according to prosecutors. The Kutateladzes have three young children: twin boys, age 6, and a 4-year-old daughter. Adding complexity to the case, Greater Long Island reported that Teimurazi Kutateladze had his own pending drunk-driving charge at the time of the crash involving the same Cadillac Escalade. He was previously arrested in Brooklyn after rear-ending a vehicle, court records showed.
Broader Impact
The case highlights the devastating consequences of high-speed drunk driving incidents on Long Island’s major parkways. With Kutateladze’s blood alcohol level nearly double the legal limit and her vehicle traveling at 81 mph in a 55 mph zone, the incident underscores how excessive speed combined with intoxication can turn a simple traffic violation into a multi-vehicle fatality involving innocent victims and their families.