A 28-year-old man who was impaired by drugs and alcohol when he caused a car crash that killed a Long Island couple has been sentenced to jail.
Christian Lopez, from Brentwood, was sentenced to between four and 12 years in prison by the Suffolk District Court on Thursday 26 January.
It came months after he pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicle murder and other charges in the deaths of Brentwood couple Rodolfo Polanco and his wife Soraida Polanco.
Prosecutors said Lopez admitted to drinking alcohol and taking a strong analog of fentanyl before getting behind the wheel in Brentwood on Oct. 2, 2021.
Around 9:40 p.m., while Lopez’s Acura sedan was going more than twice the speed limit on Second Avenue near Hilltop Drive, it crashed into a Toyota Camry being driven by Rodolfo Polanco, according to police.
The impact sent the Camry into the oncoming lane, where it was hit by an oncoming Jeep Wrangler, instantly killing Polanco’s wife, Soraida.
Rodolfo Polanco later died from his injuries at South Shore University Hospital in Bay Shore.
Six others were injured in the accident, one of them seriously, police said.
Officials responding to the crash reported that Lopez was obviously impaired and that he admitted to drinking and “walking out of the zone.”
Toxicology results showed he had a blood alcohol content of 0.05 percent, along with the presence of fluorofentanyl, police said.
Investigators determined that Lopez was driving 67 mph in a 30 mph zone at the time of the accident.
In October 2022, he pled guilty to the following charges:
- Heavy Vehicle Killing (Crime)
- Manslaughter in two counts – 2nd degree (Crime)
- Driving while impaired due to the combined influence of alcohol and one or more drugs (criminal offense)
“This defendant was driving while intoxicated at more than twice the speed limit and caused the deaths of two innocent people through his selfish and reckless actions,” said Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney.
“This case is another tragic example of the need to tighten penalties for negligent drunk drivers.
“I will continue to advocate for stronger drunk driving and drug laws to keep our Suffolk County residents safe.”
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