What Happened
A 31-year-old Medford woman is facing multiple felony and misdemeanor charges after Suffolk County police say she drove drunk with her two toddler sons in the vehicle, lost control, and crashed into a wooded area in Brookhaven late Saturday night.
According to The South Shore Press, the crash occurred at approximately 11:25 p.m. on July 18, 2026, when Jesher Rivera-Barreto was driving a 2006 Toyota 4Runner southbound on Horseblock Road at the intersection of Montauk Highway in Brookhaven. Investigators say she lost control of the vehicle, left the roadway, and slammed into a wooded area.
Rivera-Barreto’s two passengers — her 1-year-old and 4-year-old sons — were in the SUV at the time of the crash. All three were transported to NYU Langone Hospital–Suffolk in Patchogue for evaluation. Police said Rivera-Barreto and the younger child suffered minor injuries and were treated before being released. The 4-year-old was not injured. Both children were subsequently released to their father at the hospital.
Following the investigation, the South Shore Press reports, Suffolk County Police charged Rivera-Barreto, of 230 Mount Vernon Ave. in Medford, with Aggravated Driving While Intoxicated with a Child Passenger Less than 15 Years Old under Leandra’s Law — a felony — as well as Driving While Intoxicated and two counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child.
Rivera-Barreto was held overnight at Suffolk County’s Fourth Precinct pending arraignment Sunday in First District Court in Central Islip.
Location & Road Context
The crash took place at the intersection of Horseblock Road and Montauk Highway in Brookhaven, a stretch where local roads feed significant residential and commercial traffic. Horseblock Road is a major north-south corridor in the Brookhaven Town area, and its southbound approach toward Montauk Highway sees heavy through-traffic, particularly on weekend evenings. The area immediately surrounding the intersection includes wooded buffer zones on both sides of the road, which is where Rivera-Barreto’s 4Runner came to rest after leaving the pavement.
Investigation & Legal Proceedings
Rivera-Barreto faces a serious felony charge under Leandra’s Law, which New York enacted in 2009 following the death of 11-year-old Leandra Rosado, who was killed in a crash while riding with an intoxicated driver. The law makes it a felony offense to operate a motor vehicle while intoxicated when a child age 15 or younger is present in the vehicle. As reported by The South Shore Press, Rivera-Barreto’s charges include one count under that statute, a standard DWI count, and two counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child — one for each of her sons.
The investigation remains active. Detectives from the Suffolk County Police Department’s Fifth Squad are asking anyone with information about the crash to contact them at 631-854-6552. Rivera-Barreto was arraigned Sunday in First District Court in Central Islip after spending the night at the Fourth Precinct.
Broader Impact
A conviction on the Leandra’s Law felony count alone carries a mandatory ignition interlock requirement and can result in up to four years in state prison under New York law — penalties that escalate further when combined with the two child endangerment misdemeanor counts Rivera-Barreto also faces. With children ages 1 and 4 in the vehicle at the time of the crash, prosecutors are likely to treat this as an aggravated case, and the active investigation suggests additional findings could supplement the charges already filed.