Hicksville Man Charged For 2022 Drunken Driving Death: Prosecutors

MINEOLA, NY — A Hicksville man was arraigned Tuesday on charges stemming from a June 2022 high-speed crash in Hempstead that killed a man and seriously injured his wife, prosecutors announced.

Oscar Argueta, 36, faces counts that include aggravated vehicular homicide, second-degree manslaughter, second-degree vehicular manslaughter and two counts of second-degree assault, Nassau County D.A. Anne Donnelly said.

Argueta pleaded not guilty. He is due back in court on May 16.

"This defendant was allegedly drunk when he speeded down Greenwich Street and careened into David Popoola and his wife’s car as it crossed the intersection," Donnelly said. "The force of the crash sent the couple’s vehicle hurtling into a utility pole and killed David Popoola. His wife survived the crash with serious injuries.

According to the charges, on June 26, 2022, at approximately 1:40 a.m., Argueta was traveling northwest in a Dodge Durango while allegedly intoxicated and driving at a high rate of speed when he T-boned a Mercedes Benz G300 crossing the intersection on Curtis Avenue.

The victims’ vehicle struck a curb causing the car to flip into a utility pole. Popoola, 48, and his wife were trapped inside of the vehicle after the collision. He was pronounced dead at the scene, while his wife underwent emergency surgery on her wrist.

If convicted, Argueta faces up to 25 years in prison.