Driver of horrific Staten Island crash that killed three teenagers sentenced to adult prison term

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — A teen driver blamed for a devastating crash two years ago that killed three of his passengers was sentenced as an adult last week in state Supreme Court in St. George.

The case of Orlando Flores, now 18, of Heberton Avenue in Port Richmond, was closed to the public at the time of his arrest under the state law for delinquent minors.

The deceased, two of whom were a brother and a sister, were identified by police as Fernanda Paez, 16, Jesie Gil Paez, 15, and Ashley Rodriguez, 15.

Records show that Flores pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter in May as part of a deal with the Richmond County District Attorney’s Office. In exchange, he was sentenced on July 2 to 3 1/3 to 10 years in prison.

District Attorney Michael E. McMahon said in a statement Tuesday that the defendant was “driving at a dangerously high rate of speed and swerving unsafely across lanes before colliding with another motorist.”

“Ashley, Fernanda and Gil will not be able to return to their beloved families, but we hope this week’s verdict brings peace and closure to their loved ones,” he said.

“We commend our partners at the NYPD for their expert investigative work and Assistant District Attorney Alexis Argentine for her diligent work to ensure justice in this horrific and heartbreaking case.”

Lawyer Mario Gallucci defended Flores and urged young drivers to avoid speeding.

“Mr. Flores was a young man who, like many young people, was speeding,” Gallucci said. “He took responsibility and hopes that other young drivers will now recognize the dangers of speeding and remember these three young people who lost their lives for no reason.”

‘I HATE YOU!’

At the time of the accident, Rodriguez’s family was planning their Sweet 16 celebration.

“It was all planned,” her older sister said in a GoFundMe post. “But now she won’t live to see this moment.”

Following Flores’ conviction, Rodriguez’s sister expressed relief at the court’s verdict on social media and continued to express her resentment toward the defendant.

“To Orlando, I hate you!” the brother wrote. “I hope that in the years you spend in prison, you will always remember the lives you took because it was a ‘stupid decision’ you made.”

“The pain your family felt today as they saw you handcuffed cannot compare to the pain we feel.”

THE CRASH

According to officials, the accident occurred on July 10, 2022, at around 8:50 p.m. on Hylan Boulevard in Pleasant Plains. According to reports, Flores was behind the wheel of a 2018 Ford Mustang and was driving at an unsafe speed.

According to a friend of the Gil family who spoke to Advance/SILive.com, the group had left a friend’s birthday party in Tottenville and was heading to a nearby store, accompanied by a Honda Civic that also contained teenagers from the party.

Flores was hospitalized after the crash and was listed as critical but stable at times.

Officials say the Mustang was traveling north on Hylan Boulevard when it collided with a 2017 Yukon that was traveling south and attempting to turn onto Richard Avenue.

The Yukon was driven by a 47-year-old man from New Jersey and had four passengers, all of whom suffered minor injuries, police said at the time.

The day after the crash, the Paez siblings’ extended family gathered at their home in Dongan Hills.

Apparently they were not only siblings but also friends.

“They were always smiling and greeted everyone with love,” said a family friend. “They just started high school.”