Disturbing new details have emerged in the drunk driving crash that claimed the lives of a Jamaican couple returning home from a church event on Long Island’s Southern State Parkway.
Liscent Maxwell, 88, served alongside her husband in the church as a reverend. Facebook
Prosecutors say Diana Kutateladze, 36, was driving at 70 mph with a blood alcohol content of .10 — above the legal limit — and admitted to drinking a whiskey and coke before getting behind the wheel.
At around 10:13 p.m. on March 15, Kutateladze was traveling westbound on the parkway when she struck another car, lost control of her Cadillac Escalade, jumped the center median, and plowed into oncoming traffic — striking several vehicles before slamming head-on into a Toyota Highlander.
The crash took the lives of Bishop Donald Maxwell, 82, and his wife, Rev. Liscent Maxwell, 88 — a couple widely known for their decades of faithful ministry. The pair had been on their way home from a church event at the time.
Liscent Maxwell, 88, served alongside her husband in the church as a reverend.Facebook
The driver of the Highlander suffered a broken arm, wrist, and pelvis — all requiring surgery. Kutateladze’s own husband, who was a passenger in her SUV, suffered a cervical spine fracture, an internal brain bleed, broken femurs in both legs, and broken ribs, and remains in critical condition.
Kutateladze identified herself on social media as a DOJ-accredited immigration attorney. The couple has three young children — twin boys, age 6, and a 4-year-old girl.
She appeared in court in a wheelchair, pleaded not guilty, and is being held without bail. If convicted, she faces between eight and 25 years in prison.
🕊️ Our hearts remain with the Maxwell family and the Pentecostal City Mission Church community. Justice must be served. 🇯🇲
