A Great Neck teen accused in the deadly case of driving and crashing his car with a man clinging onto the hood was arraigned on upgraded charges in Mineola Wednesday.

The new charges against 19-year-old Christian Arevalo include second-degree murder.

The charges stem from a dispute back in August in Great Neck in which 20-year-old Corey Howell was killed.

Prosecutors say Arevalo drove up to speeds of 60 mph with Howell hanging onto the hood of his car. Howell then fell off and died of a head injury.

Arevalo’s attorney says his client was justified, and that he was only trying to protect himself from an attack that he says was started by Howell and members of his family.

"He was in the driver's seat of his car. Mr. Howell proceeded, after assaulting him, to jump onto the hood of his car and begin smashing the windshield of the car, as well as other members of Mr. Howell's family [who] were smashing the windows of the car in an attempt to further inflict serious physical injury on Mr. Arevalo,” says attorney Brian Griffin.

Corey Howell is a relative of Kyle Howell, who made claims of police brutality during a traffic stop in Westbury back in 2014. That officer was acquitted.

Arevalo, who is also facing a robbery charge in an unrelated case, is being held on $1 million bail. He's due back in court in early January.