Driver sentenced for killing 3 Long Island friends in 2022 Southern State crash 

A Queens man who killed three Long Island friends in 2022 when he crashed while high during a road race could serve the minimum prison sentence, 4½ years, under terms of a plea agreement with Nassau prosecutors.

In Nassau court Thursday, Supreme Court Justice Christopher Quinn sentenced Matthew Whyte, 29, to 4½ to 13½ years behind bars. The Nassau County District Attorney's Office had initially recommended a prison term of 7 to 21 years, but adhering to the plea agreement, Quinn opted for the lower sentence.

Whyte, who in February pleaded guilty to multiple counts of manslaughter, assault, driving while impaired and aggravated vehicular homicide, apologized in court Thursday to the families of Ciara Hare, 18, Florence Oprisan, 18, and Jean Marc Miller, 22, and acknowledged what he did was wrong.

"They had their whole lives and now they’re gone because of my bad decision," he told the court. "I thought that I could drive fast because it was fun. I thought that if anything bad happened, it would be I would be hurt that day. ... If the world was a fair place, I would have lost my life. I don’t know what else to say. I thank God and I’m sorry."

Because it is a determinate sentence, Whyte will have to serve at least the minimum before he is eligible for parole.

"We didn’t get justice," said Florence’s mother, Irene Xenofontos, after the hearing, "but we got closure."

The three friends were returning from Queens just before 9 p.m. on Nov. 5, 2022, one exit away from Hare’s home, on the Southern State Parkway, Ciara’s father, Richard Hare, told Newsday.

At the same time, Whyte and another driver were hurtling down the parkway, weaving in and out of traffic, racing each other at speeds up to 93 mph, according to prosecutors.

At Exit 32, Whyte’s 2018 Subaru WRX clipped Ciara Hare's 2004 Honda Civic, sending it into a traffic camera pole on the right side of the highway. The Subaru also lost control and rolled, coming to rest in a wooded area on the side of the road.

Hare remained trapped behind the wheel and died a short time later.

Miller was thrown from the car, sustaining grievous injuries. Florence Oprisan, whose family said went by Flo, was partially ejected from the Honda. Both victims were taken to Nassau University Medical Center, where they fought for their lives for six days until doctors recommended to their families that their life support be disconnected. They died within minutes of each other.

"Three young lives were stolen because of Matthew Whyte’s reckless decision to drive high on the notoriously treacherous Southern State Parkway," Nassau District Attorney Anne Donnelly said in a statement. "Today’s sentence will never undo the pain this defendant has caused Ciara, Florence, and Jean Marc’s families. But it should serve as a warning and a reminder for anyone driving on our roadways. Driving is a privilege and a responsibility. When you drive high, you are putting your life and the lives of other motorists at risk. My office will never tolerate drunk or drugged driving, and we will aggressively prosecute the individuals whose actions cause these tragic crashes."