Victims of triple fatal crash include grandmother, other relatives, Nassau police said

The victims of Saturday’s fatal car crash in New Hyde Park that killed three women include the grandmother of the girl who had just celebrated her Sweet 16 party, Nassau police said Monday at a news conference in Mineola. 

The driver of the Mercedes-Benz that slammed into the Lincoln Town Car carrying the victims, meanwhile, faced additional criminal charges following arraignment at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, according to Nassau District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly’s office. 

The fatal accident, described by Nassau Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder as “horrific,” prompted a crackdown on drunken driving, speeding and other traffic infractions. 

“We are going to start an initiative here in the police department about taking back our roads, writing more summonses, doing more interactions, more DWI roadblocks, if that is what it is going to take,” Ryder said. 

The victims include Marlene Luu, of Woodside, Queens. Luu, 66, is the mother of the host who organized a Sweet 16 celebration held Saturday night at The Inn at New Hyde Park and the grandmother of the girl honored at the party, according to Nassau Det. Capt. Stephen Fitzpatrick. 

Luu was pronounced dead at the scene, along with Hoa Ho, 68, of Woodside, the aunt of the host, and Tu Nguyen, 41, of North Carolina, a cousin of the host, according to Fitzpatrick, the commander of the Nassau homicide unit.  

A 73-year-old male passenger who suffered neck and back pain was treated at a local hospital and released. A 67-year-old man who suffered a fractured clavicle and shoulder injuries, along with a 42-year-old man with fractured ribs, remain hospitalized. 

A relative of the victims contacted by Newsday declined comment on Monday.

Mercedes driver Dante Devon Lennon, 22, of Freeport, was charged Monday with three counts of second-degree manslaughter, three counts of vehicular manslaughter while impaired, second-degree assault and second-degree vehicular assault while impaired. Lennon suffered non-life-threatening injuries during the crash and remains at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset. 

Lennon was ordered held without bail Monday by Nassau Judge Colin O’Donnell during a bedside arraignment at the hospital, according to a spokesman for Donnelly. He was ordered to return to court on Wednesday.

“This is a tragedy that defies comprehension,” said Lennon’s attorney, Robert C. Gottlieb of Manhattan. “Dante is a very good and decent young man who is distraught by what happened.” 

Fitzpatrick said police are trying to determine how fast Lennon was driving when the crash took place. He declined to answer when asked about Lennon’s blood-alcohol content but said it was over the legal limit. 

A felony complaint filed by prosecutors said Lennon’s preliminary breath test result was .088%, higher than the legal limit of .08%. Arresting officers said Lennon had glassy, bloodshot eyes and acknowledged that he had drunk alcoholic beverages prior to the crash, according to the complaint. 

The victims had just left a Sweet 16 celebration at The Inn at New Hyde Park when the crash occurred, according to police. The driver of the Lincoln was attempting to make a left turn from Third Street to Jericho Turnpike when a 2012 Mercedes-Benz driven by Lennon slammed into the Town Car, Nassau police said. 

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said authorities had planned to hold a news conference before the Memorial Day weekend to remind residents not to drink and drive. Saturday’s fatal crash is a stark reminder of why that message is important, he said. 

“The police will be out in force,” Blakeman said. “Those who violate the law will bear the full brunt of the law.” 

Blakeman called the accident “a horrible tragedy.” 

“My heart goes out to the family of those who lost their lives,” he said. 

Ryder said increased enforcement and the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a drop in DWI arrests,  from 889 in 2020 to 701 in 2021, with 221 so far this year. Traffic fatalities, however, jumped from 44 in 2020 to 55 last year, with 27 so far in 2022. Accidents increased from 24,755 in 2020 to 29,463 in 2021, with 9,789 reported year-to-date in 2022. 

“We got to get better on the roads,” Ryder said. “People have got to pay attention.”