Bay Shore woman dies in alleged DWI crash

A Bay Shore woman died early Saturday when the car she was riding in collided with another car, driven by a man who was drunk, Suffolk County police said.

Laura Avrams, 38, was the front-seat passenger in a 2000 Dodge Neon driven by her longtime boyfriend Saul Garcia, 39. Garcia was driving south on Brentwood Road in Brentwood when a 2000 Hyundai Elantra going north crossed the double yellow line, crashing into them head-on at about 2:40 a.m., Third Squad Det. Sgt. Tony Lavista said.

Avrams was taken by ambulance to Southside Hospital in Bay Shore, where she was pronounced dead. Garcia, and another passenger, Maria McGrath, 24, of Mastic, were taken to the same hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, Lavista said.

The driver of the Hyundai, Luis Lazo, 30, of Brentwood, was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center in West Islip. Lavista said Lazo appeared drunk to officers who responded to the scene and that he was charged with driving while intoxicated.

Lavista said Lazo was expected to undergo surgery for a broken hip and would likely be arraigned at the hospital. It was unclear Saturday when the arraignment would take place. Lazo's relatives could not be reached Saturday.

Avrams' mother, Dorothy Stewart, 68, who lived with her and Garcia in Brentwood, said the couple was headed home from a late-night viewing of "Paranormal Activity 2." They had dropped off other friends, Stewart said.

Avrams and Garcia met in high school in Florida and had been together for eight years, Stewart said. They planned to wed someday.

"She had a very good heart," her mother said. "She was a very caring person. We loved her. She loved us."

She is also survived by a sister, Christine Kreisberg, 45, of Bay Shore and brother, Army Capt. James Avrams, who is stationed in Afghanistan. Funeral arrangements were not finalized Saturday.