Posted on: April 25, 2025 09:55 AM

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Laurelton man sentenced to up to 13 and half years in prison for fatal crash on southern state parkway

Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly announced that a Laurelton man was sentenced today to up to 13 ½ years in prison for a high-speed, marijuana-fueled crash on the Southern State Parkway in 2022 that killed three victims.

Matthew Whyte, 29, pleaded guilty on February 20, 2025, before Judge Christopher Quinn to Aggravated Vehicular Homicide (a B felony); three counts of Manslaughter in the Second Degree (a C felony); one count of Assault in the Second Degree (a D violent felony); and Driving While Ability Impaired by Drugs (an unclassified misdemeanor).

The defendant was sentenced today to 4 ½ - 13 ½ years in prison. NCDA recommended a sentence of 7 to 21 years in prison.

“Three young lives were stolen because of Matthew Whyte’s reckless decision to drive high on the notoriously treacherous Southern State Parkway,” said DA Donnelly. “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.”

DA Donnelly said that on November 5, 2022, at approximately 8:56 p.m., 18-year-old Ciara Hare was driving her 2004 Honda Civic eastbound on the Southern State Parkway near Exit 32 (Route 110, Broadway) with passengers 18-year-old Florence Oprisan and 22-year-old Jean Marc Miller.

At approximately the same time, Whyte was driving his 2018 Subaru WRX in the same direction near the exit, at a high rate of speed, weaving in and out of lanes of traffic and while impaired by marijuana. An unidentified individual in a third vehicle was also speeding, and driving recklessly, and appeared to be racing Whyte.

Whyte crashed into Hare’s vehicle, forcing the vehicle off the roadway and into a traffic camera pole on the right shoulder of the parkway. Whyte’s vehicle also left the roadway, overturned, and landed in the wooded shoulder of the parkway a short distance away. The third unidentified vehicle did not crash and drove away.

Both vehicles were severely damaged in the crash. Whyte sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to Good Samaritan Hospital.

Hare suffered extensive injuries and was trapped in the driver’s seat of her vehicle. She was pronounced dead at the scene at approximately 9:20 p.m.

Miller was ejected from the vehicle and suffered extensive injuries. He succumbed to his injuries on November 11, 2022, at approximately 2:46 a.m. at Nassau University Medical Center.

Oprisan was partially ejected through the front windshield and suffered life threatening injuries. She was taken to Nassau University Medical Center where she was pronounced deceased on November 11, 2022, at approximately 2:59 a.m.

According to the event data recorder from Whyte’s vehicle, the defendant was driving approximately 93 miles per hour five seconds before he struck the victims’ vehicle. Blood taken from the defendant at the hospital revealed 6.8 mcg/L of active marijuana approximately four hours after the crash.

From DA