Driver sentenced to 4–12 years after crash that killed East Hampton passenger

A 19-year-old driver, Luis Barrio Nuevo Fuertes of Springs, was sentenced this week to 4–12 years in state prison after pleading guilty in Suffolk County Criminal Court to charges that include felony vehicular assault and vehicular manslaughter in a crash that killed one passenger and injured six others.

Prosecutors say the crash occurred last June when Barrio Nuevo Fuertes, who had been drinking, was driving on Old Stone Highway at speeds reported above 70 mph in a 30-mph zone. One backseat passenger, 19-year-old Scarlet Urgiles Samaniego, died in the crash; other passengers suffered severe injuries.

The sentence also carries three years of probation once the prison term ends and a requirement to pay fines and fees totaling more than $5,000. The judge accepted the defendant’s guilty plea last month, resolving a case that included more than a dozen charges.

The court record and the report to East End News indicate the conviction stems from both intoxication and high-speed operation on a residential road. There was no new public comment from the defendant at the time of sentencing. The victim and surviving passengers were identified in reporting but did not appear on camera for this segment.

The case is in the Suffolk County Criminal Court system; further sentencing paperwork and appeal rights remain part of the public record.