Story by Ethan
On April 24th, 2026, the arrest of Diana Kutateladze, age 36, was announced by Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly. Diana Kutateladze was charged with first-degree Vehicular Manslaughter as a C felony, two counts of Aggravated Vehicular Homicide as a B felony, two counts of second-degree Manslaughter as a C felony, Aggravated Vehicle Assault as a C felony, two counts of second-degree Vehicular Manslaughter as a D felony, first-degree Vehicular Assault as a D felony, two counts of second-degree Vehicular Assault as an E felony, four counts of second-degree Assault as a D violent felony, five counts of third-degree Assault, Driving While Intoxicated Per Se as an E felony, Driving While Intoxicated, and Reckless Driving. The arrest and charges against Diana Kutateladze were a result of an investigation handled by the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office.
According to the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, at approximately 10:15 p.m. on March 15th, 2026, Diana Kutateladze alongside her husband was driving westbound in her 2020 Cadillac Escalade on the Southern State Parkway in Malverne, New York. While allegedly traveling at a high rate of speed the defendant side swept a BMW while crossing in front of it near exit 17S. Diana Kutateladze then hopped the center guardrail and ended up in the eastbound lanes facing oncoming traffic before colliding headfirst into a 2016 Toyota Highlander carrying a 71-year-old driver, 82-year-old Donald Maxwell, and 88-year-old Liscent “Barbara” Maxwell. Both Donald Maxwell and Liscent “Barbara” Maxwell were killed instantly when the passenger’s side of the vehicle was crushed on impact. The Toyota’s driver sustained significant heart injury, fractured ribs, and a compound hand fracture that required surgery and metal hardware being implanted. Diana Kutateladze’s husband also suffered critical injuries from the crash after the impact trapped him in the car. First responders extracted him before transporting him to Mount Sinai South Nassau Hospital where he was placed on a ventilator in critical condition. Diana Kutateladze suffered minor injuries and was treated at the Nassau University Medical Center where her blood was drawn. Allegedly the defendant’s blood alcohol content was .15% approximately an hour after the crash. The defendant’s actions caused a five car pileup that inflicted injury to other drivers and shut down part of the Southern State Parkway while emergency services needed to clear the road of debris and rescue individuals. The defendant’s vehicle’s crash data recorder reported that Diana Kutateladze was traveling at 81 miles-per-hour five seconds before the test despite the 55 miles-per-hour speed limit.
The Nassau County District Attorney’s Office stated that the charges against Diana Kutateladze are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
