GARDEN CITY, NY — A Hempstead man pleaded not guilty on charges related to a "fiery" wrong-way DWI crash in Garden City, the Nassau County District Attorney's Office announced on Thursday.
Cheninson Lafontaine, 27, was accused of driving drunk and high on fentanyl and marijuana when he drove head-on into another car on Cathedral Ave. in March, the DA's office said.
He was arraigned on Oct. 15 before Judge Teresa K. Corrigan on charges of second-degree assault, second-degree vehicular assault, driving while intoxicated per se, driving while intoxicated, and driving while ability impaired by the combined influence of drugs or of alcohol and any drug or drugs, the DA's office said.
According to the DA's office, he pleaded not guilty and had a bail set at $500,000 cash, $1.2 million bond, and $2.5 million partially-secured bond. He is due back in court on Oct. 21 and faces up to seven years in prison, the DA's office said.
"As a delivery driver, the defendant knew how dangerous the roads could be under standard conditions, but he allegedly drove in broad daylight while impaired by alcohol, marijuana, and even fentanyl before inevitably causing a serious accident," NCDA Anne Donnelly said. "It is a miracle no one was killed in this crash, but this defendant put multiple lives at risk, including his own.
On March 7 at about 12 p.m., Lafontaine had finished working as an Uber Eats delivery driver when he drove his 2020 Mercedes-Benz sedan the wrong way on Cathedral Avenue and crashed head-on into an Infiniti sedan, the DA's office said.
According to prosecutors, Lafontaine was driving 89 mph in a 30 mph zone before crashing into the Infiniti.
Lafontaine's Mercedes-Benz caught fire and witnesses "dragged" him out of the car as it became "engulfed in flames," prosecutors said.
Both Lafontaine and the female Infiniti driver were taken to NYU Langone Hospital in Winthrop, the DA's office said.
The woman suffered a lacerated liver and fractures to her rib, kneecap, and ankle, which required surgery, prosecutors said.
Lafontaine's blood alcohol content was at .10 percent about 30 minutes after the crash when taken at the hospital, and further testing shows that there was THC and fentanyl present in his system, prosecutors said. He was arrested on March 7 by the Garden City Police Department, the DA's office said.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Alexandra Laird and Alexandra Russell of the Vehicular Crimes Bureau under the supervision of Bureau Chief Michael Bushwack and under the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for the Litigation Division Daryl Levy, and Lafontaine is represented by Miguel Alvarado, Esq., the DA's office said.
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