College Graduate Killed in Queens Crash; Driver Charged

A recent college graduate was killed early Sunday morning in Queens after the car she was in crashed and overturned. The driver of the vehicle, 34-year-old Anthony Dickson, has been charged with vehicular manslaughter and driving while ability impaired.

The victim, Arrianna Arregui, 23, a graduate of Brooklyn College, was a passenger in the back seat of a Honda Accord. The crash occurred just after 4 a.m. on the Grand Central Parkway near the Steinway overpass when Dickson allegedly lost control of the vehicle. Police reported that the car’s left rear wheel struck the curb, causing it to skid, overturn, and knock over a light pole.

Arregui sustained severe head and body trauma and was pronounced dead at Elmhurst Hospital Center. She had earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Brooklyn College this year.

Dickson and three other passengers, women aged 23, 24, and 32, were either unharmed or sustained minor injuries. The group was reportedly on their way home from a birthday party. Police have not confirmed whether Dickson was under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the incident.

One of the passengers, who identified herself as Dickson’s cousin, described Arregui as being like family. "The whole car was family. It’s just unfortunate," she told the New York Daily News. "She’s been in my life my whole entire life. It’s a tremendous loss for everyone… She just graduated college. She just got a haircut."

Dickson's arraignment was pending on Monday.