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A seventh-grade Shoreham-Wading River Middle School student was killed and four others were injured after a drunken driver crashed into a group of friends out on a hike in Manorville Sunday afternoon, according to officials. 

The five youths, all members of Boy Scouts of America Troop 161 of Shoreham, were walking on the southbound shoulder of David Terry Road, when they were struck by a 2016 Mercedes driven by a Holbrook man, who police said had been drinking. The scouts, all ranging in age from 12 to 16 years old, were headed northbound shortly before 2 p.m., facing the vehicle as it exited the southbound lane of travel and headed toward them, according to a Suffolk County Police Department account of the incident.

The five youths were all rushed to area hospitals with two of them suffering serious injuries, according to police. Shoreham-Wading River school officials later announced that one of the youths had died.

Police identified the deceased boy as 12-year-old Andrew McMorris of Wading River.

“It is with heavy hearts that I share with you that one of our seventh grade students passed away as a result of the injuries he sustained in this horrific accident,” Superintendent Gerard Poole announced in a statement send to parents and shared on social media Monday morning. “We have also been informed that a high school student is recovering from several broken bones.”

Mr. Poole said the other students suffered less serious injuries. The district has informed parents that counseling will be available to students this week.

Suffolk police said Thomas Lane, 15, of Shoreham was the boy airlifted to Stony Brook and being treated for serious injuries. Denis Lane, 16, of Shoreham, Kaden Lynch, 15, of Calverton and Matthew Yakaboski, 15, of Calverton sustained non-life-threatening injuries, police said. Kaden and Matt are sophomores at Riverhead High School.

“Our thoughts are with all those involved in this accident and our hearts and deepest condolences with the family and friends of the student who tragically lost his life,” Mr. Poole wrote.

The students had been hiking as part of an organized scout outing on the Greenbelt Trail through Manorville, according to a calendar listing on the Troop 161 website.

Suffolk County police were outside the home of the McMorris family Monday.

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Thomas Murphy

Judge James Matthews set cash bail at $250,000 cash or $500,000 bond at the arraignment at First District Court in Central Islip. He pleaded not guilty.

Mr. Murphy is a father of three who’s had multiple heart operations, according to his attorney, Stephen Flynn of Melville. The attorney said Mr. Murphy’s family is “prepared to post a significant bond.”

The assistant district attorney, who declined further comment after the arraignment, asked that Mr. Murphy’s license be suspended for gross negligence.

“It was a clear, sunny afternoon and the road was dry,” the ADA said in court.

Mr. Murphy, who admitted to drinking alcohol, refused to take a breath test at the scene and also refused a chemical test at the police station, the ADA said. A total of 18 people were walking in the group, some of whom were wearing bright red clothes.

The ADA added that Mr. Murphy has had “limited contact with the criminal justice system” prior to Sunday’s crash.

Mr. Flynn expressed condolences to the families in a brief statement to reporters following the arraignment.

“This is a tragedy for everyone,” he said. “Beyond that we have no further comment.”

Mr. Murphy is due back in court Oct. 11.

Ryan DiBernado, the scout executive and CEO of the Suffolk County Council of Boy Scouts of America, posted a message Monday morning also confirming the death of one boy.

“As part of the Suffolk County Council, our scouting family is going through a terribly painful time,” he wrote. “We offer our deepest condolences to the victim’s family, and we will support them in any way that we can. Our thoughts remain with the scouts still recovering from this incident.

“Please join us in keeping all those affected in your thoughts and prayers.”

The Riverhead Central School District also released a statement saying the district is offering grief counseling and support “to those affected within our school community.”

“We are deeply saddened to learn that two members of our student body were injured in yesterday’s accident in Manorville,” the statement said.

Margaret Rebholz, whose 16-year-old son was killed by a drunk driver in 1996, attended the arraignment Monday as a representative of Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

“Don’t drink and drive,” she said to reporters. “Don’t do drugs and drive. It’s so easy today with Uber and so many things … Scouts out on a Sunday afternoon. None of us are safe.”

Top caption: The scene of Sunday’s crash. (Credit: Stringer News)

gparpan@timesreview.com

Check back for updates throughout the day.

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The driver responsible for the death of a Wading River Boy Scout issued an apology Thursday and said he takes responsibility for his “role” in the crash and offered sympathy to the families.

Thomas Murphy, 59, of Holtsville, had admitted to drinking on the afternoon of Sept. 30, according to a criminal complaint, when his Mercedes-Benz swerved into a group of Boy Scouts on David Terry Road in Manorville, killing 12-year-old Andrew McMorris and injuring four others.

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Mr. Murphy’s attorney, Stephen McCarthy Jr. of Manhattan, read the statement outside the courtroom Thursday morning with his client by his side. Mr. McCarthy provided a copy of the statement to the News-Review.

It read:

“I, Thomas Murphy, want to offer my deepest sympathy and condolences to the family and loved ones of Andrew McMorris. I take responsibility for my role in the tragic accident that occurred on Sept. 30, 2018, which resulted in the death of a wonderful boy, and the injury of four other boys. I also want to offer my sympathy to the families of the other injured boys: Thomas Lane, Denis Lane, Kaden Lynch and Matthew Yakaboski.

“I will cooperate fully with the Suffolk County district attorney’s office during their investigation of this tragic accident. Again, I am deeply sorry. Myself, and my family, offer our prayers to the McMorris family in this extraordinarily painful and difficult time.”

Mr. Murphy pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor charge of driving while intoxicated at his arraignment Oct. 1. His court appearance Thursday at First District Court in Central Islip was adjourned. He is free on $500,000 bond. Upgraded charges are still expected in the case, prosecutors said.

Police took a blood sample from Mr. Murphy, after obtaining a warrant, on the afternoon of the crash. He had refused a breath test at the scene, prosecutors said. The blood sample was taken at approximately 5:42 p.m., more than three hours after the crash, according to the criminal complaint.

District attorney Timothy Sini had issued a statement after the crash saying his office will be “leaving no stone unturned” to investigate the case and present additional charges before a Suffolk County grand jury where appropriate.

Mr. Murphy is due back in court Nov. 7.

joew@timesreview.com

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A 36-year-old Riverside man was killed Sunday night after being struck by an alleged drunken driver while walking on County Route 105, according to Southampton Town police.

Ian Costanza was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to the Suffolk County Medical Examiner’s Office. The driver, Tyler Gaches of Shirley, was traveling southbound on 105 near Flanders Road when he struck Mr. Costanza, police said.

Mr. Gaches called police and was subsequently charged with DWI. The crash occurred at about 11:45 p.m., police said.

The vehicle was impounded for further investigation. The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office is investigating along with Southampton Town police.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Southampton detectives at 631-702-2230.

Arraignment information on Mr. Gaches was not immediately available. Mr. Gaches was also arrested for drunken driving in Flanders in January 2017. He was charged with misdemeanor driving while ability impaired by alcohol in that case, according to prior reports.

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The parents of Andrew McMorris and members of Shoreham Boy Scout Troop 161 filled a Central Islip courtroom Tuesday morning as Thomas Murphy, the Holbrook man accused of a deadly drunk driving crash two months ago, appeared before Suffolk County Supreme Court Justice Fernando Camacho.

The case was adjourned until Jan. 24.

Mr. Murphy was responsible for the death of the 12-year-old Scout and injuring four others while allegedly driving drunk on David Terry Road in Manorville two months ago, according to a criminal indictment.

Mr. Murphy had been arraigned on a 16-count indictment, including aggravated vehicular homicide, which carries a maximum penalty of 8 and 1/3 to 25 years in prison. Other charges include second-degree vehicular manslaughter, aggravated DWI and second-degree assault, among others.

Following the brief conference between the defense attorney and prosecutor, the McMorris family, friends, and other Scouts in uniform, reunited in the lobby and immediately left.

Mr. Murphy, 59, followed, and his attorney, Stephen McCarthy Jr., read a statement on his behalf. Similar to the statement read after Mr. Murphy’s arraignment Oct. 16, he apologized for the incident.

“A beloved, beautiful child has been taken from his family as we enter the holiday season. I take responsibility for my role in this tragedy,” the statement said. “The pain of the McMorris family must be unimaginable and unbearable.”

Following the statement, Mr. McCarthy said there’s an “ongoing dialogue” between the defense and the prosecutor’s office to address the case.

“We’re being fairly treated by the board and the prosecutor’s office,” he said.

Mr. Murphy will remain free on the initial $500,000 bond he posted after his Oct. 1 arraignment on the initial misdemeanor DWI charge. It is unclear if the case will proceed to a trial.

knalepinski@timesreview.com

Photo caption: Thomas Murphy of Holbrook pleaded not guilty to a 16-count indictment. (Cyndi Zaweski file photo)

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Sobriety checkpoints in Riverhead Town late Saturday into Sunday resulted in one arrest, according to Riverhead Town police.

Osiel Alexander Gomez-Gonzalez, 40, of Greenport was found operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol at a sobriety checkpoint on East Main Street near Elton Street. He was arrested and charged with one count of driving while ability impaired and held for arraignment.

The checkpoints were part of the Suffolk County District Attorney’s DWI Task Force. Members of the Riverhead, Shelter Island, Suffolk County and State police departments conducted increased enforcement throughout the town.

Increased DWI enforcement is scheduled to continue throughout the rest of the year as well as into the New Year, police said.

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Wearing red to honor Andrew McMorris, a Wading River scout who was killed by an alleged drunk driver last fall, nearly 100 friends and family members filled an arraignment room in Central Islip Tuesday for what they believed would be the end of a six-month ordeal. 

Instead, Thomas Murphy, 60, the Holbrook man charged in the death, asked for another adjournment before Suffolk County Supreme Court Justice Fernando Camacho.

At a court appearance Jan. 28, Judge Camacho seemed optimistic that the case would soon end in a plea deal. This time, he had harsh words for the defendant.

“I was told you were seriously considering [a plea deal],” Judge Camacho said, addressing Mr. Murphy in his courtroom. “I believed you. I’m out of patience.”

Judge Camacho has urged Mr. Murphy to accept a plea deal — the details of which have not been disclosed — to spare Andrew’s family from additional pain and suffering by recounting the events of Sept. 30 at trial.

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Thomas Murphy inside First District Court in Central Islip Tuesday. (Credit: James Carbone/Newsday)

During the brief appearance, Judge Camacho indicated that this would be the final adjournment granted in this case. At the next appearance May 2, Mr. Murphy must indicate whether or not he will accept the plea deal. If not, the case will be tried in June, Judge Camacho said.

“[This case] will have a conclusion one way or another,” he said.

Mr. Murphy and his wife and left the courtroom as his attorney paused to give a statement on behalf of his client.

“I ask respectfully that those who come to court allow myself and my family the time to fully evaluate my case and my role in this tragic accident,” attorney Steven McCarthy Jr. said in reading the statement. He declined further comment.

Friends, family and fellow Boy Scouts once again left dejected.

“What this man is doing is not honorable. We need justice,” said Andrew’s mom, Alisa McMorris, as she stood outside of the courtroom with her husband, John, and their daughter, Arianna, by her side. “We’re willing to accept it and move on with our lives. [Mr. Murphy] deserves his earthly consequences for what he did to my child and what he did to all of the Scouts.”

Andrew, who would have turned 13 Saturday, was killed Sept. 30 while on a hike with fellow scouts in Manorville. Four other boys were injured in the crash. Mr. Murphy is facing a top charge of aggravated vehicular homicide.

The McMorris family said they were willing to do whatever it takes to deliver justice, including a trial.

“We’re not going to give up without a fight,” Mr. McMorris said. “We’re going to forge on for not only ourselves and Andrew, but Troop 161, the Shoreham-Wading River community and the multiple communities throughout Long Island and the country who love Andrew and love Troop 161.”

Asked whether there was a sentence of time that they would accept or not accept, Ms. McMorris spoke earnestly.

“My son was given a life sentence,” she said. “This is a violent crime that has happened to the [Boy Scouts] and to my child. I expect to see justice.”

Caption: Andrew McMorris’ parents and sister outside the courtroom Tuesday. (Credit: Tara Smith)

tsmith@timesreview.com

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Two out of three.

That’s how many people will be affected by drunk driving in their lifetime, according to statistics from Mothers Against Drunk Driving NY. 

Margarita Jimenez of Riverhead, 30, is one of those people. On July 25, 2015, at the intersection of Doctor’s Path and Northville Turnpike, she was critically injured when she was ejected from the passenger seat of a car operated by a driver who had allegedly been drinking.

The car hit a telephone pole, and the force of the collision snapped it in half. The driver and two other passengers weren’t seriously injured, and fled the scene.

Ms. Jimenez was taken to Stony Brook University Hospital with broken spinal and cervical vertebrae, the latter of which was shattered, and three broken ribs. She’s undergone three spinal surgeries since the crash, she said.

“I don’t think I’ll ever fully recover, honestly,” she said last Thursday. “I live a life now that is different. I have gotten used to pain because I have pain all the time.”

Each year, around the anniversary of the crash, Ms. Jimenez has used her traumatic experience as motivation to remind others of the dangers of drunk driving and raise money for MADD.

In fact, she and her family held three fundraisers last month to benefit the nonprofit. On July 20, as a heat advisory swept over Riverhead, Ms. Jimenez set up a donation table at the Riverhead Car Wash on Route 58. Her children — Raniya, 11; Jasiah, 8; and Vivianna, 7 — pitched in as well, selling cups of lemonade for $1 each.

Last Thursday, Ms. Jimenez and family members gathered again near the Route 58 traffic circle for her third annual hot dog fundraiser. With a grill running from 3:30 to 9 p.m. in the Dunkin’ Donuts parking lot, family members, including Ms. Jimenez’s mother-in-law, Diane Ferbee of Riverhead, waved signs asking motorists to honk for their cause.

Ms. Ferbee said she attended that event for the first time in an effort to get drunk drivers off the road.

“I’m just here fighting for every mother, every father, for their kids to be safe,” she said. “I don’t want to see anybody get hurt by a drunk driver, and nine times out of 10, most of them walk away from it and don’t get caught.”

On Sunday morning, the group continued their fundraising with a car wash at the Riverhead Applebee’s. Each year, Ms. Jimenez said, she aims to raise more money than the year before. Last year she raised $220; this year, her efforts generated $375 for MADD.

“That [accident] definitely changed my life,” she said. “I am super limited now, but I know I’m also super blessed. Like, I was so close to being much worse for the rest of my life and I have to remind myself of that all the time … It’s a win and a loss, but you have to live with it.”

Caption: Ms. Jimenez and supporters during last week’s rally to bring attention to the issue of drunken driving. (Credit: Kate Nalepinski)

knalepinski@timesreview.com

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A Mastic man who was allegedly driving under the influence was ejected from his SUV and suffered serious injuries following a collision with a heavy truck on County Road 51 Friday morning, according to Southampton Town police.

Gregory Lee, 50, was driving a 2014 Buick SUV and struck a 2009 International Heavy Truck, causing him to be ejected from the vehicle when it rolled over, police said. The 27-year-old driver of the truck sustained minor injuries.

The crash occurred shortly after 10:30 a.m.

The Flanders Northampton Volunteer Ambulance transported Mr. Lee to Stony Brook University Hospital. The Riverhead Fire Department assisted at the scene along with the New York Police Accident Reconstruction Unit.

Southampton detectives determined Mr. Lee was driving under the influence and he is facing charges of felony DWI, driving with a suspended license and driving without a proper interlock device.

He will be arraigned at Southampton Justice Court on a later date, police said.

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A Wading River woman was arrested for driving while intoxicated after allegedly driving the wrong direction on Sunrise Highway during overnight hours Sunday, according to Suffolk County police.

Maria Latora, 26, was reportedly driving eastbound in the westbound lanes of Sunrise Highway near exit 44 in Islip, police said. Highway patrol officers responded after a motorist called 911 at 1:25 a.m. to report the dangerous vehicle. The officers located the 2017 Honda Accord driving the wrong direction and attempted to pull over the vehicle.

Police said the driver failed to stop and continued eastbound. Officers closed the eastbound lanes of Sunrise Highway at exit 50. When the driver reached exit 50, Ms. Latora allegedly made a U-turn and began traveling westbound. She then stopped for a highway patrol officer on the westbound service road between exit 50 and exit 50A in Holbrook at about 1:40 a.m.

Ms. Latora was arrested and held overnight at the Fourth Precinct for a scheduled arraignment Sunday, police said.

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A Mattituck man who allegedly struck and killed a pedestrian in Riverhead while driving drunk last month now faces a top charge of aggravated vehicular homicide, according to online court records.

A grand jury on Tuesday indicted Matthew Nemschick, 54, on six separate felony charges following the Feb. 11 crash on West Main Street. Mr. Nemschick had originally been charged with felony driving while intoxicated after he was arrested at the scene by Riverhead Town police.

The crash left 38-year-old Alexander Lopez Guzman, who police said was homeless, dead.

Mr. Nemschick is also charged with one count of second-degree manslaughter and one count of first-degree vehicular manslaughter. Prosecutors said at Mr. Nemschick’s original arraignment that he had been convicted of DWI in 2018.

The indictment also includes a charge of tampering with physical evidence, two DWI charges and a misdemeanor charge of reckless driving.

Mr. Nemschick, who works as an electrician at Plum Island, is scheduled to be arraigned on the upgraded charges March 31 in Suffolk County Court before Judge Stephen Braslow. He is currently free after his bail was set at at $5,000 cash or $10,000 bond during his initial arraignment in Riverhead Town Justice Court.

The crash occurred near 953 W. Main St. shortly before 10 p.m. Police said at the time the victim was transported to Peconic Bay Medical Center, where he succumbed to his injuries.

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Riverhead police Friday night responded to an unusual motor vehicle accident: a 2017 Maserati had crashed into the Dark Horse Restaurant.

A department release said Mark Szynaka, 61, of Riverhead, was arrested for Driving While Intoxicated and was held overnight for arraignment Saturday morning.

“This man was driving entirely too fast,” said restaurant owner Dee Muma said Saturday morning. “I think he was heading east and lost control. He hit the curb and it launched him into the air 18 inches off the ground. He hit right where tables 11 and 12 were. They were destroyed. Thank God nobody was hurt.”

The restaurant posted photos of the 11 p.m. crash on its Facebook page that show extensive damage. In the post, the restaurant staff said they were grateful no one was hurt.

“So this was our night,” the post said. “We are blessed to say no one was hurt as we were closed at the time. Our staff, the driver, and our tenants are all ok. Tables, booths, and chairs can be rebuilt. Lives cannot be unlost so to say we are lucky is beyond an understatement.

“We are planning to open today (maybe a tad later than normal). Stop in for a drink and see a sleep-deprived Ross, Dee and Peter for some amazing photos and a hell of a story. (Use the side door or the back door because, well ya know, the front door doesn’t exist at the moment.)”

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A man was arrested in Riverhead Sunday evening for driving drunk with his 2-year-old son in the vehicle, town police said in a press release.

Denis Perez-Flores, whose age and address was not included in the release, was stopped after police in both Riverhead and Southold towns received calls of a vehicle failing to maintain its westbound lane of travel on Sound Avenue, police said.

Mr. Perez-Flores was found to be intoxicated after police stopped the vehicle shortly after 7 p.m. in the area of Northville Turnpike, according to the release.

He was arrested and charged with Leandra’s Law DWI, a felony, endangering the welfare of a child and operating a vehicle without a valid license, police said. Mr. Perez-Flores was held for arraignment in Riverhead Justice Court Monday morning. 

The 2-year-old child was turned over to his mother.

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A Greenlawn woman was arrested under Leandra’s Law after she was allegedly driving while intoxicated with a 10-year-old child in the car Monday, according to Riverhead Town police.

The woman was allegedly stopped with her car running and in the drive position for an extended period at the entrance to the Willow Pond Condominium Community at Willow Pond Drive near Sound Avenue. Police were notified at about 4:17 p.m. as another driver who was stopped behind the Toyota sedan waiting to enter Willow Pond Drive realized something may be wrong with the driver.

The motorist approached the Toyota and noticed the driver, identified as Anne Hansen, 52, appeared to be “semi-conscious, very disoriented with slurred speech,” police said. Another motorist realized the car was still in drive and was able to reach in to put it in park, turn the engine off and remove the keys from the ignition.

At that point, another person dialed 911 while one of the motorists remained with the vehicle until the first patrol unit arrived.

Police determined Ms. Hansen was intoxicated and she was charged with aggravated driving while intoxicated under Leandra’s Law, which makes it an automatic felony to drive while intoxicated with a minor. She also faces a misdemeanor charge of endangering the welfare of a child.

Police impounded her vehicle and Ms. Hansen was held for arraignment. No injuries were reported.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 631-727-4500.

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The bus driver who was allegedly drunk last month when she twice crashed transporting campers home from the Baiting Hollow Scout Camp had an empty beer bottle near her seat on the bus, a prosecutor said at her arraignment in Suffolk County Criminal Court Tuesday.

Diane Juergens, 61, of Ridge pleaded not guilty to a 38-count grand jury indictment that includes 20 felony counts of aggravated DWI with a child in the vehicle and 10 counts of endangering the welfare of a child, court records show.

Assistant Suffolk County District Attorney Kim Carson told Judge Stephen Braslow that Ms. Juergens crashed the bus twice after a camp counselor on board told her she had missed the second stop at the camp, failing to pick up the remaining camp attendees she was supposed to drive home July 13. She backed into a stone pillar on Sound Avenue that for decades has marked the entrance to the Oak Hill community as she attempted to make a u-turn before crashing into a tan GMC Yukon as she attempted to make her way back to camp to pick up the additional campers. Ms. Carson said that while the driver of the truck stopped, Ms. Juergens did not as she again passed the other stop at the camp.

“She drove right past the second stop where the campers were still waiting and went right back to the original location where she [had] picked up the campers who were already on the bus,” Ms. Carson told Judge Braslow.

At a press conference following the arraignment, Suffolk County District Attorney Timothy Sini said a blood sample taken following her arrest revealed Ms. Juergens had a .30% blood alcohol content, more than three times the legal limit.

“That is not someone who can function at all,” Mr. Sini said. “And she chose to get behind that wheel and endanger the life of each and every one of those children.”

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Mr. Sini also pointed out that Ms. Juergens was about 30 minutes late picking up the campers.

Speaking with his client at his side outside the courtroom, Ms. Juergens’ attorney, Dennis Lemke of Mineola said she’s “very sorry.”

“She’s thankful no one was hurt at all,” he said.

Mr. Sini was joined at the press conference by Alisa McMorris of Wading River, whose son Andrew was killed by a drunken driver while hiking with fellow Scouts in 2018, and the parents of Dennis Lane, who was injured in the same crash. The district attorney pointed out that just weeks before Ms. Juergens’ arrest, a lodge at Baiting Hollow Scout Camp was dedicated in the McMorris’ name.

“The irony could not be thicker,” Mr. Sini said.

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Ms. McMorris said she could not put into words how difficult it was to learn of Ms. Juergens’ arrest involving scouts from the camp where her son had recently been honored.

“When my son passed away I was naive enough to think that people on Long Island would be shook and it would change what we were doing, but that is clearly not the case,” she said.

Ms. McMorris said she believes the best way to prevent such incidents is to pass legislation to make mandatory anti-drunk driving technology in new automobiles.

If convicted of the top charge under Leandra’s Law, Ms. Juergens faces 2 1/3 to 7 years in prison, Mr. Sini said. She remains free without bail, but with alcohol monitoring from the Suffolk County Department of Probation. Her driver’s license has also been suspended and an order of protection has been issued for each of the passengers on the bus.

A spokesperson for First Student Inc., a national company that operates chartered buses and provides transportation to school districts in Suffolk County, said last month that Ms. Juergens’ employment had been terminated.

She’s due back in court for a conference on Sept. 15.

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An intoxicated Riverhead woman allegedly assaulted a Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office deputy during a traffic stop Thursday night.

Daniela Pintado, 21, punched a deputy in the face and bit his index finger, resulting in the deputy needing medical treatment at a local hospital, according to a press release from the Sheriff’s Office.

The incident began at about 10:12 p.m. when a deputy stopped Ms. Pintado for speeding through the Riverside traffic circle and failing to maintain her lane of travel. Ms. Pintado allegedly showed signs of intoxication and became aggressive and volatile and attempted to walk away as the deputy interviewed her, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

As the deputy continued to interview her, Ms. Pintado then flailed her arms and punched and bit the deputy. The deputy sustained injuries to his face and right index finger.

Ms. Pintado was transported to a local hospital to have blood drawn. She was treated and released.

She faces a top charge of second-degree assault, a felony. She also faces misdemeanor charges of second-degree obstructing governmental administration, resisting arrest and driving while intoxicated.

“I will not tolerate instances of assaults on my staff, whether they occur in the community or in the correctional facilities,” Suffolk Sheriff Errol Toulon said in a statement. “We will seek to have this defendant prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

Arraignment information was not immediately available.

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A Coram man was arrested in Calverton Monday night after police say he was driving drunk in a stolen vehicle.

Christopher Pappas, 41, is accused of stealing a running vehicle from the Shell gas station at the traffic circle in Riverside around 9 p.m., according to a Southampton Town police press release. He was stopped a short time later in the area of County Road 94 and the Long Island Expressway service road in Calverton.

Mr. Pappas, who police said had a prior DWI conviction, was arrested and taken to Southampton Town police headquarters, where he will be held to appear in Southampton Town Justice Court Tuesday.

He was charged with felony DWI, fourth-degree grand larceny and criminal possession of stolen property.

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A 43-year-old Calverton man was arrested for driving while intoxicated after a two-car crash that resulted in serious injuries and led to a prolonged closure of Route 48 in Mattituck Wednesday night, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office.

Bartosz Debowski, 43, was driving a 2021 Dodge Ram pick-up truck shortly before 7:30 p.m., when he allegedly ran a stop sign and was t-boned by a 2001 Chevy pick-up truck at the intersection with Mill Lane, the DA’s office said.

The drivers of both vehicles were transported to area hospitals, where Mr. Debowski reportedly refused to submit to a blood test.

A spokesperson for the DA’s office said a warrant was secured to obtain a blood sample and the results are forthcoming.

Traffic was closed in both directions on Route 48 for several hours during the initial phases of the investigation, which town police said is ongoing.

No additional information about the crash was available early Thursday afternoon.

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An off-duty Southampton Town police officer was charged with driving while intoxicated after allegedly rear-ending a vehicle in Westhampton, according to Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney.

Eric Girardin, 36, of Center Moriches faces a misdemeanor DWI charge after allegedly crashing a 2020 Nissan sedan into a 2018 Hyundai late Friday night. The driver of the Hyundai, a 41-year-old Riverhead man, was not seriously injured in the crash.

The crash occurred at the intersection of Mill Road and Montauk Highway, the DA said.

“Members of the law enforcement community should be held to a higher standard, so it is disappointing when a member allegedly violates the laws they are sworn to protect,” Mr. Tierney said in a statement.

Mr. Girardin was arraigned in Southampton Town Justice Court and ordered to turn in his driver’s license. He is due back in court in front of Judge Gary Weber on Jan. 19.

Mr. Tierney, who replaced outgoing DA Tim Sini at the start of the month, thanked the Southampton Town Police Department in a press release for its cooperation.

Mr. Girardin was hired in 2009 and earned a salary of $158,174 in 2020, according to public records.

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A Riverhead Town police officer was injured after an impaired driver crashed into his police vehicle at the scene of a motor vehicle accident in Wading River late Wednesday night, police said in a press release.

Two police units responded to the scene of the crash on Wading River Manor Road just north of Route 25 Wednesday at 10:34 p.m. and found a vehicle disabled on the shoulder after the driver failed to negotiate the roadway due to foggy conditions.

As one officer blocked the roadway and began directing traffic, another officer returned to his vehicle to prepare paperwork. While sitting in the front passenger seat of his unit, the officer was struck by a vehicle heading north on Wading River Manor Road.

Officials said the force of the collision caused “extensive damage” to both vehicles and pushed the police cruiser off of the roadway onto the eastern shoulder.

The officer, who was not identified by police, was transported by Wading River Fire Department Ambulance to Peconic Bay Medical Center in Riverhead, where he was admitted for non-life threatening injuries, police said.

The other driver, identified as 47-year-old Kenneth Hamilton of Wading River, was not injured in the crash but found to have “noticeable impairment” and arrested for driving while intoxicated, according to the release.

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A Calverton man who prosecutors said was driving drunk on the January evening he ran a stop sign on Route 48 in Mattituck and caused a crash that injured another driver was arraigned Tuesday on upgraded charges, including a top count of first-degree aggravated vehicular assault.

Bartosz Debowski, 43, pleaded not guilty Tuesday before Judge John Collins and was placed on supervised release with a curfew as he awaits trial.

Mr. Debowski was driving a 2021 Dodge Ram pick-up truck shortly before 7:30 p.m. Jan. 5, when he allegedly ran a stop sign and was t-boned by a 2001 Chevy pick-up truck at the intersection of Mill Lane, the DA’s office said in a previous press release.

At the arraignment Tuesday, Assistant District Attorney Daniel Cronin said a blood test taken one hour after the crash showed Mr. Debowski had a blood alcohol content of .21%, nearly three times the legal limit of .08%. He said the driver of the other vehicle suffered a broken leg and ribs and was hospitalized at Peconic Bay Medical Center for five days.

Through his attorney, Richard Pellegrino of Riverhead, Mr. Debowski, who works in construction, requested permission from the judge to drive on weekends to Norwich, N.Y, where he is doing work on a home at a property he owns. Judge Collins allowed him to do so, under the condition that he be monitored by GPS and obey a 9 p.m. curfew.

“I’d rather you not drive at all though, frankly,” Judge Collins said.

The indictment includes two additional felony assault charges related to the allegedly drunken crash. If convicted on the top charge, a class C felony, Mr. Debowski could face as much as 15 years in prison.

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