Prosecutors say Kelyse Land was more than twice the legal limit and under the influence of drugs before the head-on Hempstead Avenue wreck.
MINEOLA, N.Y. – A Valley Stream woman who admitted driving the wrong way while drunk and impaired before smashing head-on into a car carrying two teenagers has been sentenced to 2 to 6 years in prison.
Kelyse Land, 26, was sentenced Tuesday after pleading guilty in July to aggravated vehicular assault, second-degree assault, third-degree assault and driving under the combined influence of alcohol and drugs. Nassau County prosecutors had asked for a longer sentence of 4 to 9 years.
The July 25, 2025, crash happened around 11:45 p.m. on Hempstead Avenue when Land crossed the double yellow lines in her 2003 Nissan and drove directly into a 2022 BMW that was stopped at a red light.
Key Points
- Land was sentenced to 2 to 6 years in prison.
- Prosecutors said her blood alcohol level was .17% three hours after the crash.
- Two teenagers in the BMW were injured, including one who suffered permanent wrist limitations.
Teen Driver Left With Permanent Wrist Damage
The force of the crash pushed the BMW into another vehicle.
The teenage driver suffered multiple hand and wrist fractures along with deep cuts that required more than three dozen stitches. Prosecutors said the injuries left the teen with permanently limited wrist mobility.
A teenage passenger was treated for a concussion and a sprained ankle.
Land was arrested at the scene by Nassau County police.
Blood Test Showed More Than Twice the Legal Limit
A blood sample taken about three hours after the crash showed Land had a blood alcohol concentration of .17%, according to the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office.
A reverse-extrapolation analysis estimated her BAC at the time of the crash was between .185% and .26%.
Investigators also recovered an empty 50-milliliter bottle of Johnnie Walker Black Label from Land’s pocket.
District Attorney Anne Donnelly said the crash could have been even worse.
“Her actions caused a head-on crash that seriously injured a pair of teenagers,” Donnelly said.
Prosecutors Wanted Longer Prison Term
Land pleaded guilty July 20 before Judge Helene Gugerty.
The Nassau County District Attorney’s Office recommended a sentence of 4 to 9 years, but the court imposed a term of 2 to 6 years.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney James Taglienti of the Vehicular Crimes Bureau.
Shore News Network previously reported on Land’s guilty plea in the wrong-way Hempstead Avenue crash.
