Riverhead Man Convicted of Fatal DWI Crash

A man has admitted to driving drunk and causing a seven-car pileup that killed his 33-year-old passenger in their hometown of Riverhead last year and severely injured others.

Cristian Mendoza-Baquiax, 37, pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicular homicide, second-degree manslaughter, assault in the second degree, and aggravated driving while intoxicated on March 11 at Suffolk County court.

“This conviction is a reminder to all that drunk driving kills,” Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney said.

Prosecutors said the 37-year-old man was speeding in a 2010 Acura MDX northbound on County Road 105 when he veered into the opposite lane of traffic, where he struck six vehicles on Aug. 7, 2024. His passenger, Nelson Reyes-Muxin, was killed in the crash. Four other people were hospitalized for fractures and other injuries.

Mendoza-Baquiax had a blood alcohol concentration of .25%, more than triple the legal limit, authorities said.

He faces up to 15 years in prison when Judge Steven Pilewski is scheduled to sentence him on April 15