Queens man sentenced to up to 7.5 years after passenger death in 2021 Elmont drunk driving crash

A Queens man was sentenced Sept. 23 to up to seven and a half years in prison for killing a passenger in a drunk driving crash in December 2021.

Kwesi Williams, 43, drove at a high rate of speed while intoxicated and crashed into an unoccupied vehicle and a utility pole, killing his passenger Sadayah Furet, 32.

Williams pled guilty to second-degree manslaughter and operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol on June 5 before Judge Robert McDonald. He was sentenced Sept. 23 to two and a half to seven and a half years in prison. Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly recommended a sentence of four to 12 years in prison.

"Kwesi William's reckless and irresponsible decisions caused a catastrophic chain of events that ended the life of Sadayah Furet," Donnelly said in a news release. "Williams was driving more than twice the speed limit and intoxicated when he struck a parked car and then launched his vehicle into a utility pole. Driving while intoxicated is a selfish choice and can quickly lead to the tragic deaths of innocent people. Our thoughts continue to be with Sadayah's family as they mourn her loss."

Furet suffered extensive injuries in the crash to her head and neck, broke multiple bones and had damage to several major organs including her lungs and heart. She was taken to NYU Langone Hospital Long Island where she was pronounced dead at 3:33 a.m.

Donnelly said Williams was speeding near 272 Elmont Road in Elmont on Dec. 3, 2021 at 2:04 a.m. when he crossed over the roadway, struck the parked car and crashed into a utility pole.

Data recovered from the vehicle revealed that Williams was driving 74 miles per hour in a 30-miles per hour zone at the time of the crash, according to the district attorney's office. A search warrant for Williams' blood taken at the hospital revealed that his blood alcohol content was 0.10 percent roughly an hour and 15 minutes after the crash.

Williams was arrested at NYU Langone Hospital Long Island by members of the Nassau County Police Department Homicide Squad on Dec. 3, 2021.