Syosset man pleads not guilty in DWI crash that killed husband, wife in Laurel Hollow
Police say Sotirios Spanos was driving on Northern Boulevard in August when the crash happened.
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A man accused in a high-speed DWI crash that left a couple dead was arraigned on an indictment Tuesday in Mineola.
Sotirios Spanos is facing a slew of charges, including aggravated vehicular homicide, vehicular manslaughter, assault and driving while intoxicated. Spanos pleaded not guilty.
The crash happened in August on Northern Boulevard in Laurel Hollow. Prosecutors said Spanos crossed into oncoming traffic and struck the front passenger side of a convertible head on, killing Odalis and Ismenia Urena, both 37 years old. The victims’ family members attended the arraignment. Ismenia Urena’s sister said she is now raising the couple’s two girls.
Prosecutors said that more than three hours after the crash, Spanos was twice the legal limit. He was allegedly driving at 100 mph just seconds before the crash. Odalis Urena, who was driving the convertible, was also alleged to be above the legal limit.
Spanos’s attorney, Steven Epstein, said his client is a devoted family man who has never been arrested. He called this a “tragedy.” Spanos is due back in court later this month.
Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly, citing multiple recent crashes involving alleged impaired drivers, said: “Our roads are literally turning red with the blood of innocent people. It’s turning into a horror show.”
