Locust Valley man arraigned for fatal 2019 Glen Cove ambulette crash

Alvaro Gutierrez-Garcia, of Locust Valley, was arraigned on April 30 on aggravated vehicular homicide, manslaughter and other charges for allegedly driving drunk and crashing into an ambulette in Sept. 1, 2019, killing the patient inside, Denis Motherway, 85, of Bayville.

Motherway was a retired NYPD detective, a father of five and a grandfather of 10. His son, Timothy, was also killed in a drunk driving crash in March, 2009.

Gutierrez-Garcia, 28, was arraigned on April 30 before Judge Robert McDonald on charges of:

• Two counts of aggravated vehicular homicide (a B felony)
• Second-degree manslaughter (a C felony)
• First-degree vehicular manslaughter (a C felony)
• Two counts of aggravated vehicular assault (a C felony)
• Second-degree vehicular manslaughter (a D felony)
• Two counts of first-degree vehicular assault (a D felony)
• Two counts of second-degree assault (a D violent felony)
• Two counts of second-degree vehicular assault (an E felony)
• Second-degree reckless endangerment (an A misdemeanor)
• Reckless driving (an unclassified misdemeanor)
• Two counts of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence
  of alcohol (an unclassified misdemeanor)
• Aggravated driving while intoxicated (an unclassified misdemeanor)

Bail was continued at $150,000, and Gutierrez-Garcia is due back in court on May 28. If convicted, he faces a maximum of 8.3 to 25 years in prison.

Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas said at approximately 11:45 p.m. on the night of the crash, Gutierrez-Garcia was allegedly driving a 1997 Cadillac sedan eastbound at high speed on Forest Avenue in Glen Cove with a blood alcohol content of .18. He struck a private ambulette driving southbound on Walnut Avenue. The force of the crash caused the ambulette, which was transporting Motherway to Glen Cove Hospital, to overturn.

Motherway, who was being transported from a rehabilitation facility due to an unrelated medical condition, went into cardiac arrest due to the collision and was pronounced dead at Glen Cove Hospital, according to charging documents.

Gutierrez-Garcia did not sustain any injuries during the crash, while his front-seat passenger suffered minor injuries. The EMT inside the ambulette suffered serious physical injuries, while the driver suffered minor injuries.