Long Island Crash Leaves Pastor and Wife Dead as DUI Charges Filed
A late-night crash on Long Island has left a local pastor and his wife dead, while raising new concerns about impaired driving and high-speed incidents on busy parkways.
The collision happened on the Southern State Parkway near Hempstead in Nassau County on Sunday, March 15th. Authorities say the crash quickly escalated into a multi-vehicle scene involving several drivers and passengers.
What Authorities Say Happened
According to New York State Police, the incident began when a vehicle traveling in the wrong direction entered active lanes of traffic.
Investigators say a 36-year-old woman was driving westbound in the eastbound lanes when her SUV struck multiple vehicles. The sequence began with a sideswipe before the driver lost control, crossed the median, and continued into oncoming traffic.
The situation ended in a head-on collision, killing two passengers in another vehicle. This chain of events is now central to the Southern State Parkway accident of 2026.
Long Island Crash: Pastor Killed
The victims were identified as Donald Maxwell, 82, and Liscent Maxwell, 88. The couple were pronounced dead at the scene.
Donald Maxwell served as a pastor at a church in Far Rockaway, where he was known within the local community. Family members have not released a public statement.
Injuries and Wider Impact
The crash involved six vehicles in total, with ten people caught up in the incident.
Several people were transported to nearby hospitals. One person remains in critical condition, while others were treated for injuries that authorities described as non-life-threatening.
Given the number of vehicles and victims involved, officials are classifying this event as a multi-vehicle collision in Hempstead, NY, underscoring the scale of the scene.
Charges Filed in the Case
The driver at the center of the investigation is now facing multiple charges, including:
Aggravated vehicular homicide
Vehicular manslaughter
Assault
Driving while intoxicated
Reckless driving
Prosecutors say the driver was traveling at a high rate of speed at the time of the crash and had a blood alcohol level above the legal limit.
The case is now being closely followed as a DUI crash in Nassau County, New York, with legal proceedings expected to be underway in the coming weeks.
Wrong-Way Driver in Long Island
Early findings from investigators point to both speed and alcohol impairment as contributing factors.
Wrong-way driving incidents, while relatively rare, are often among the most dangerous types of accidents, due to the force of the head-on collisions.
In this case, the driver significantly increased the severity of the crash, leading to widespread damage and multiple casualties.
A Community Reflects
Crashes like this tend to ripple beyond the immediate scene.
For local communities, the loss of longtime residents, especially those in visible roles like ministry, carries a deeper emotional weight.
At the same time, incidents involving impaired driving continue to prompt renewed conversations about safety, accountability, and prevention.
As the investigation moves forward, authorities are expected to release additional details that may clarify exactly how the crash unfolded.
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