Valley Stream woman pleads guilty in Nassau County crash case
MINEOLA, NY — A Valley Stream woman has admitted she was driving drunk and under the influence of marijuana when she traveled the wrong way on Hempstead Avenue and slammed into a vehicle carrying two teenagers, leaving both injured, prosecutors said.
Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly announced that 26-year-old Kelyse Land pleaded guilty Monday, July 20, to aggravated vehicular assault, second-degree assault, third-degree assault and driving under the combined influence of alcohol and drugs.
According to prosecutors, the crash occurred at approximately 11:45 p.m. on July 25, 2025, when Land was driving a 2003 Nissan on Hempstead Avenue.
Investigators said Land crossed over double yellow lines into oncoming traffic and struck the front of a 2022 BMW that was stopped at a red light. The impact pushed the BMW into another vehicle.
The teenage driver of the BMW suffered multiple fractures to the hand and wrist along with lacerations requiring more than three dozen stitches. Prosecutors said the victim was left with permanent limitations in wrist mobility.
The teenage passenger was treated for a concussion and a sprained ankle.
According to the district attorney’s office, blood drawn from Land about three hours after the crash showed a blood alcohol concentration of 0.17%, more than twice New York’s legal limit of 0.08%.
A reverse extrapolation analysis estimated her blood alcohol concentration at the time of the crash was between 0.185% and 0.26%, prosecutors said.
Investigators also recovered an empty 50-milliliter bottle of Johnnie Walker Black Label from Land’s pocket after the crash.
Land was arrested at the scene by Nassau County police.
She is scheduled to return to court on Sept. 28 for sentencing and is expected to receive a prison term of two to six years. Prosecutors had recommended a sentence of four to nine years.
The charges resulted in guilty pleas. Sentencing has not yet occurred.
Key Points
- A Valley Stream woman pleaded guilty after a wrong-way crash injured two teenagers.
- Prosecutors said she was under the influence of alcohol and marijuana at the time of the collision.
- She is expected to be sentenced to two to six years in prison in September.
