West Hempstead woman sentenced to 3 to 9 years in prison for crash that killed 2 teens

A West Hempstead woman will spend the next three to nine years in prison.

Nylah Frazier, 20, was sentenced in a Nassau court Wednesday to serve three to nine years in prison for two counts of manslaughter and three years for two counts of assault.

She pleaded guilty to killing 17-year-old Amanda Arguinzoni and 19-year-old Kurtis Caesar in a car crash in October 2021.

As News 12 has reported, Frazier admitted to driving over 100 mph , when she lost control of her BMW and crashed into a parked dump truck on Westminster Road in West Hempstead.

Nassau District Attorney, Anne T. Donnelly said in a statement to News 12, “Nylah Frazier recklessly careened through a red light at more than 100 mph and slammed into a parked dump truck with such force that her BMW flipped and ejected her friend, 17-year-old Amanda Arguinzoni and 19-year-old Kurtis Caesar. The teenagers were killed instantly in the crash,” Donnelly went on to say, “Two families are forever heartbroken having lost these bright, young lives and all that their futures promised. Our thoughts remain with the Arguinzoni and Caesar families at this most difficult time.”

After the sentencing, the families of Arguinzoni and Caesar told News 12 they were not pleased with Frazier's prison time.

Nadia Wynter, Kurtis Caesar's mother said, "that three years should have been six to 12."

Ruby Hernandez, Amanda Arguinzoni's mother said, "I don't think it was fair."

Josh Arguinzoni, Amanda's brother said, "There's not an amount of time that you can give that just ever make me feel better."

Despite their anger over the sentence and their overwhelming grief about the death of their loved ones, some of the victim's family members said their faith compelled them to forgive Frazier..

Ruby Hernandez said, "I forgave her because that's what God told me to do, right and that's what you're supposed to do right, so that you could feel at peace with yourself."

Nadia Wynter said she forgave Frazier because, "How can I move on...as a person...and as a Christian, I have to rely on the resources that God gave to me."

Before she was taken away in handcuffs, Frazier apologized to both families.

The judge said Frazier's sentences are to be served concurrently and her license is revoked for at least six months.