Teen driver in fatal Southern State crash out on bail

A Queens teenager charged with manslaughter in the horrific Southern State Parkway crash that killed four of his friends in October is free after posting bail, his lawyer said Wednesday.

Joseph Beer, 17, of South Richmond Hill, posted $250,000 bond and was released Tuesday night, said his lawyer, Todd Greenberg, of Forest Hills, Queens.

When Beer was arraigned on aggravated vehicular manslaughter and other charges in November, Nassau County Judge David Ayres set his bail at $2 million bond.

Greenberg then petitioned a Brooklyn appellate court to reduce that amount, noting that Beer turned himself in to authorities without incident, and that his parents were going to use their home to post bond.

"A bail of $2 million was unreasonable and I am pleased that the appeals court set bail in accordance with the constitutional prohibition against excessive bail," Greenberg said.

A spokesman for the Nassau district attorney's office declined to comment.

Prosecutors have said Beer was high on marijuana and speeding when he lost control of his 2-week-old 2012 Subaru Impreza at 3:35 a.m. on Oct. 8. The car slammed into trees off the parkway between exits 18 and 17 in Lakeview.

The force of the impact split the sedan in two and the four passengers -- Darian Ramnarine, Christopher Khan and Peter Kanhai, all 18, and Neal Rajapa, 17, all from Queens -- were ejected from the vehicle. They were pronounced dead at the scene.

Beer's next court date is Friday.