LI man sentenced in DWI crash that killed girl days before her 7th birthday
Editor's note: The video above aired on Aug. 7, 2023.
NEW YORK (PIX11) – A Freeport man was sentenced to six to 12 years in prison Monday in a 2023 drunk driving crash that killed a 6-year-old girl in Hempstead, officials said.
Jorge Bonilla Gutierrez, 19, sped through a red light while drunk on Hempstead Turnpike around 2:20 a.m on Aug. 7, according to prosecutors. That's when he crashed into a Toyota Corolla that was in the right lane with its hazard lights on.
The impact sent the Toyota Corolla flying off the roadway and into a tree, while Bonilla Gutierrez's car, a Nissan Pathfinder, flipped multiple times, prosecutors said.
Katerine Vanegas Hernandez, 6, was inside the Toyota Corolla when Bonilla Gutierrez crashed into it. She suffered from internal injuries and died just two days before her seventh birthday, according to prosecutors.
Hernandez's 5-year-old brother suffered a fractured spine, while the driver had multiple broken ribs, prosecutors said.
Bonilla Gutierrez was taken into custody near the crash, according to prosecutors. Beer cans were found inside and near the crash scene, per police.
His blood alcohol level content was 0.17% an hour after the crash, prosecutors said. The legal blood alcohol limit in New York state is 0.08%.
Bonilla Gutierrez pleaded guilty in June to manslaughter, assault and driving while intoxicated. The Nassau County District Attorney recommended a sentence between six to 15 years in prison.
Erin Pflaumer is a digital content producer from Long Island who has covered both local and national news since 2018. She joined PIX11 in 2023. See more of her work here.