Riverhead man pleads guilty in fatal 7-vehicle crash

A Riverhead man pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicular homicide and other charges related to driving drunk and causing a seven-car collision that killed his passenger and injured others last summer, Suffolk law enforcement officials said.

Cristian Mendoza-Baquiax, 37, of Riverhead, pleaded guilty to causing a multi-vehicle crash on Aug. 7 that killed one of his passengers, Nelson Reyes-Muxin, 33, of Riverhead, and sent his other passenger plus three others involved in the collision to hospitals for treatment of various injuries, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney announced in a news release Tuesday.

The crash occurred around 6:15 p.m. when Mendoza-Baquiax was driving a white 2010 Acura MDX north on County Road 105 in Riverhead, Tierney’s office said. When Mendoza-Baquiax entered the southbound lane to speed around another northbound driver, he struck multiple vehicles and overturned his car.

Reyes-Muxin was pronounced dead at the scene due to his injuries, officials said. Another passenger in the Acura sustained multiple arm fractures and a dislocated shoulder. He was transported to Peconic Bay Medical Center.

Another driver in the wreck had two fractured legs and a dislocated ankle, Tierney’s office said. That driver was airlifted to Stony Brook University Hospital. Two others who suffered injuries were also treated at hospitals

Mendoza-Baquiax exhibited signs of intoxication while at the scene of the crash “and stated that he had six beers,” according to the district attorney’s release. After Riverhead police placed him under arrest, he was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital for treatment of injuries and consented to having his blood drawn for testing. Toxicology results from two samples taken at different times, one by hospital staff and one by police, revealed blood alcohol concentrations of 0.25% and 0.21% respectively, Tierney’s office said.

At his initial arraignment on Aug. 21, Mendoza-Baquiax pleaded not guilty to a litany of charges pertaining to the accident, according to court records.

On Tuesday, Mendoza-Baquiax pleaded guilty before Acting Supreme Court Justice Steven A. Pilewski in Riverhead to three counts of aggravated vehicular homicide, one count of second-degree manslaughter, two counts of second-degree assault, one count of aggravated driving while intoxicated and two counts of third-degree assault.

In a statement issued Tuesday, Tierney said: “This conviction is a reminder to all that drunk driving kills.”

Mendoza-Baquiax is being represented by the Legal Aid Society of Suffolk County, according to court documents. He is scheduled to return to court for sentencing on April 15 and is expected to be sentenced to 5 to 15 years in prison, according to the district attorney’s office.