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Santiago Monzon-Archila, of Riverhead, was given an indeterminate sentence of two-and-three-quarters to eight-and-one-quarter years in prison, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney announced on Thursday, Aug. 25.
In June, Monzon-Archila pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter in the death of Edis Noe Hernandez Nunez, Tierney said.
“This victim’s life was cut short due to this defendant’s decisions, which evinced a total disregard for the safety and well-being of his passenger and other motorists,” Tierney said. “We will continue to crack down on drivers who choose to endanger the citizens of Suffolk County on our roads.”
On Friday, Dec. 17, 2021, at about 5 a.m., Monzon-Archila lost control of his car while driving on Flanders Road in Riverhead and crashed through an iron fence, struck a parked truck, and through a wooden fence, the DA's Office said.
His car went airborne and crashed into a home on Flanders Road, according to the report.
Officers estimated that the car struck the home at about 10 feet in the air, Tierney said.
The car landed upside down, and Monzon-Archila cut himself out of the driver's seatbelt, the DA's Office said.
Hernandez Nunez was ejected from the car during the crash and pronounced dead at the hospital, Tierney said.
The DA's Office said Monzon-Archila told police that he and Hernandez Nunez had been drinking since 7 p.m.
Monzon-Archila's Blood Alcohol Content was recorded at .13 percent an hour after the crash, according to the announcement.
Monzon-Archila was also sentenced to concurrent sentences of one to three years in prison for second-degree vehicular manslaughter and six months in prison for driving while intoxicated, Tierney said.
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