Massapequa man sentenced to up to 15 years in prison in fatal crash

A Massapequa man was sentenced Friday to up to 15 years in prison for a fatal September 2020 drunken driving collision in Bethpage, a news release from the office of Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly said.

John Cappello, 31, pleaded guilty in April to aggravated vehicular homicide, manslaughter and assault, the release said.

The victim was Manuela Brugueras, 74.

Officials said Cappello was driving a Mitsubishi SUV while highly intoxicated, crossed the double yellow lines on Stewart Avenue and entered northbound oncoming traffic, crashing head-on into Brugueras’ Nissan SUV.

Brugueras was transported to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Bethpage where she was pronounced dead.

“John Cappello made a selfish choice to get behind the wheel at nearly three times the legal limit for alcohol,” said Donnelly in the news release. “Cappello careened into oncoming traffic and struck Brugueras’ vehicle head-on, destroying both of their vehicles. We hope that today’s prison sentence gives some closure to Manuela’s family.”

According to the investigation, the crash happened on Sept. 22 at about 10:39 a.m. near the intersection of Stewart Avenue and Linden Avenue in Bethpage.

Responding officers discovered an open pint-sized bottle of blue Pinnacle vodka in Cappello’s car.

Cappello's attorney, Marc Gann of Mineola, said his client is "very remorseful for the role he played in [Brugueras’] death."

"He's taking steps to address his issues and live a positive life when he's released from incarceration," Gann said.

With Grant Parpan