Driver charged after fatal Astoria parkway rollover
A new haircut
Anthony Dickson was arraigned on vehicular manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide charges after passenger Arianna Arregui died following a Grand Central Parkway rollover, QNS reported.
Reported by press, not yet linked to NYC police crash records. This may change when new official records become available or when matching details are reviewed.
Location under review.
What We Know
Reports say Anthony Dickson, 34, was driving a Honda Accord with four passengers near the Steinway Street overpass in Astoria when the car overturned. Accounts differ on the direction of travel and the sequence of events. Early reports said Arregui was ejected; a later Daily News report said police learned Dickson pulled her from the car after the crash. She died at Elmhurst Hospital. QNS reported Dickson was arraigned on vehicular manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide and driving-under-the-influence charges. The crash date, October 4, 2026, is inferred from amNY's report, published that day, which placed the crash just after 4 a.m.
Reports differ on how the rollover unfolded
Reports identify Anthony Dickson as the driver of a Honda Accord carrying four passengers, including Arianna Arregui, 23, in the middle rear seat. Arregui sustained severe head and body injuries and died at Elmhurst Hospital.
The first Daily News account placed impacts with a side barrier and light pole before the car overturned. Its follow-up attributed to police a curb-line impact, Dickson losing control, a sideways skid, and then the rollover and light-pole impact. QNS described Dickson losing control, the car spinning into a grassy area, and then overturning; it reported that a light pole was knocked down.
Early accounts, including the first Daily News report and QNS, said Arregui was ejected. In a later report, the Daily News said police initially thought she had been ejected but later learned Dickson pulled her from the car after the crash. The reports do not give one consistent account of how she left the car.
Near the Steinway Street overpass
Reports place the crash on the Grand Central Parkway near or beneath the Steinway Street overpass in Astoria, Queens. The Daily News described Dickson traveling west in the right lane; QNS described him traveling east in the left lane.
AmNY's October 4, 2026 report placed the crash just after 4 a.m.; the event date of October 4 is inferred from that report. Other reports give times ranging from about 4:07 a.m. to about 4:10 a.m., so the exact time is not established.
A recent graduate remembered as family
Arregui had graduated from Brooklyn College in 2026 with a bachelor's degree in biology, according to the New York Post, citing college records. A surviving passenger told the Daily News that the group was returning to Brooklyn from a friend's birthday celebration.
The passenger, whom the Daily News identified as Dickson's cousin, described Arregui as outspoken and outgoing and said they had been like sisters. “Arianna was like family to us,” she said.
Charges and investigation
QNS reported that Dickson was arraigned on a criminal complaint charging him with second-degree vehicular manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide and operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs. A judge set bail at $30,000 cash or $100,000 bond.
QNS reported that the complaint described slurred speech, bloodshot and watery eyes, and an on-scene drug test that tested positive for THC. The Daily News reported that police said Dickson's blood alcohol level was below the legal limit.
The Daily News reported that Dickson claimed he had been sideswiped; police sources said investigators found the damage inconsistent with that account.