Arianna Arregui, 23, a recent Brooklyn College graduate, was killed early Sunday, October 4, when the car she was riding in overturned on the westbound Grand Central Parkway near the Steinway Street overpass in Astoria, Queens, police said. The driver, 34-year-old Anthony Dickson, has been charged with vehicular manslaughter and driving while ability impaired. He is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Arianna Arregui had just graduated college and was riding home from a friend’s birthday party with people she considered family. She never made it home.
What Happened on the Grand Central Parkway
According to police, the crash occurred around 4 a.m. Sunday on the westbound Grand Central Parkway near the Steinway Street overpass. Anthony Dickson, 34, was driving a gray Honda Accord carrying five people when he lost control of the vehicle. The left rear wheel struck the curb line dividing the highway, sending the car skidding sideways before it overturned and knocked over a light pole.
Arregui, who was riding in the backseat, suffered severe head and body trauma. She was taken to Elmhurst Hospital Center, where she was pronounced dead. The driver and three other women in the car, ages 23, 24, and 32, were either unharmed or suffered only minor injuries, according to police.
Dickson was arrested and charged with vehicular manslaughter and driving while ability impaired. Police said they could not confirm whether alcohol or drugs were specifically involved. As with any criminal charge, this remains an allegation, and Dickson is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
“I Can’t Believe My Daughter Flew Out the Window”
Arregui’s father, Johnny Arregui, described the disbelief of learning what happened to his daughter.
“That’s my daughter,” he told the New York Daily News. “I can’t believe my daughter flew out the window. There was five people in the car. She was in the backseat in the middle.”
A Family of Friends
One of the surviving passengers, who identified herself as Dickson’s cousin, told the Daily News the group — all from Brooklyn — had packed into the car together on their way home from a friend’s birthday party.
“Arianna was like family to us,” she said. “The whole car was family. It’s just unfortunate.” She added that Arregui had been part of her life for as long as she could remember: “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.”
Remembering Arianna
Arregui graduated from Brooklyn College this year with a bachelor’s degree in biology, according to the college’s records — a milestone that made the loss of her future all the more painful for those who knew her.
