Drunk LI Driver Who Left Passenger To Die Adds Two Years To Prison Term With Witness Threat: DA
A Long Island man who fled a drunken crash that killed his passenger got an extra two years on his prison term Tuesday, Oct. 13 after threatening a witness, authorities said.
Elvin Maradiaga Ortiz, 35, of Hempstead, was sentenced to 21 years behind bars, the Nassau County District Attorney’s office said. He was initially supposed to get 19 years as part of a plea deal, according to authorities.
However, Ortiz’s long list of crimes grew even further when he was charged with witness intimidation, which tacked on the extra two years, the DA’s office said.
Investigators said Ortiz threatened t…
Drunk ATV Rider Flips Vehicle With Helmetless Child Aboard In New Lebanon: Police
A drunk ATV rider who crashed the vehicle with a child on board has been arrested in the Capital Region, police said Friday, Oct. 9.
Theresa Langevin, 57, of Milford, NH, rolled the ATV in a crash in Columbia County on Sunday, July 5, New York State police said.
Langevin was in the area of Mahar Road and Frees Road in New Lebanon, according to police. She lost control of the vehicle, causing it to overturn and slide before coming to rest against an earth embankment, investigators said.
Both Langevin and the child were not wearing helmets, and she was transported to Albany Medical Center wi…
Drunk Motorcycle Rider Tracked Down After Fleeing Milton Crash: Police
A Capital Region man with a lengthy criminal history fled a drunken car crash but was later arrested, police said Friday, Oct. 9.
Michael D. Redd, 24, of Ballston Spa, was riding a motorcycle when he collided with a car around 3:25 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3 in Milton, New York State Police said.
Redd fled the scene at Lewis Road and West Milton Road on his motorcycle, but troopers tracked him to his residence and arrested him without further incident, state police said.
Both Redd and the 30-year-old woman driving the vehicle were not injured in the wreck, according to police. Redd’s BAC was me…
Half-Kilo Of Oxycodone Seized In Routine Albany Traffic Stop: Police
Two men were busted with nearly half a kilo of oxycodone after a traffic stop in the Capital District, police said.
Tasheem Haggray, 31, of Amsterdam, and Ptolemy Sutherland, 26, of Schenectady, had 506.5 grams of oxycodone in their car when they were pulled over, New York State Police said Thursday, Oct. 1.
Haggray was behind the wheel of a 2004 Buick sedan traveling northbound on the New York State Thruway in Albany on Friday, Sept. 25 when troopers pulled the vehicle over around 8:30 a.m., state police said.
Investigators found the oxycodone in the car and said Haggray showed signs of a…
Drunk Driver Slams Utility Pole Near East Hampton Airport, Gets Cuffed: Police
A Long Island drunk driver slammed into a utility pole near East Hampton Airport, leading to his arrest, police said.
Fredy Tezen Paredes, 38, of Flanders, was traveling northbound on Daniels Hole Road near Hedges Lane in Wainscott around 10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25, the East Hampton Town Police Department said.
Tezen Paredes’s crash into a utility pole sparked a police response, and officers smelled alcohol on his breath and noticed his eyes were bloodshot and glassy, authorities said.
When cops put Tezen Paredes through field sobriety tests, he “performed poorly” on the “horizontal gaze” an…
No More Booze: Drunk Driver Slams Through Manorhaven Liquor Store Window, Cops Say
A drunk driver on Long Island slammed his car into a liquor store around 12:15 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 6, police said.
Matthew Meyran, 66, of Port Washington, drove through the front window of Black Tie Wine & Spirits at 112 Shore Road in Manorhaven, the Nassau County Police Department said.
Meyran’s gray Mercedes-Benz SUV went partially through the window, smashing the vehicle’s front end and causing significant damage inside the store, according to photos shared by the Port Washington Fire Department.
The liquor store was closed at the time, and Meyran was arrested for DWI without inc…
Harley Rider Killed In Early-Morning Lindenhurst Wreck, Driver Busted For DWI: Police
A deadly motorcycle crash on Long Island led to the arrest of a drunk driver early Wednesday, Aug. 5, police said.
Brieonna McGinn, 28, of Massapequa, was booked following the crash on Montauk Highway through Lindenhurst around 1:40 a.m., the Suffolk County Police Department said.
Carlos Henao, 33, also of Massapequa, was killed in the wreck, authorities said. Henao was riding a 2019 Harley Davidson motorcycle westbound when he attempted to pass two vehicles, cops said.
Henao struck the rear of a 2019 Dodge Ram and a 2023 Honda CRV, which had moved to the right lane before Henao was ejecte…
Cocaine-Carrying Driver Had 0.19 BAC In Guilderland Stop: State Police
A New York man was busted driving drunk, high, and in possession of cocaine on Tuesday, July 21, police said.
Salvy J. Prisco, 42, was pulled over on New Kramer Road in Guilderland for a traffic violation, New York State Police said.
During the stop, troopers found cocaine in Prisco’s vehicle and determined he was drunk and high behind the wheel, authorities said. His BAC was measured at 0.19, and investigators also took a blood test for drugs, according to state police.
Prisco, of Sloansville, also has a previous DWI conviction in the past 10 years, police said. His name, age, and middle …
Horror Wrong-Way Crash In Saugerties Leaves One Dead, Six Hospitalized: State Police
A wrong-way driver was killed while causing a horrific four-car crash on the New York State Thruway on Sunday night, April 26, authorities said.
Joseph Mensah-Otoo, 42, was driving southbound in the northbound lanes of Interstate 87 through Saugerties when he collided with three other vehicles, leaving his own car a mangled wreck, New York State Police said Monday, April 27.
Mensah-Otoo, of Pittsfield, MA, was ejected from his vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene, state police said. A photo from the scene showed Mensah-Otoo’s vehicle was barely recognizable beyond the rear tires.
New…
Driver In DWI Crash That Killed 4-Year-Old, Injured 2 More In Spring Valley Learns Fate
A man who admitted to causing a horrific drunken-driving crash in Rockland County that killed a young child and seriously injured two others will spend years in prison, prosecutors said.
Spring Valley resident Axel I. Lopez-Santiago, 41, was sentenced to two consecutive six-year prison terms, totaling 12 years, in Rockland County Court before Judge Kevin F. Russo, Rockland County District Attorney Thomas E. Walsh II announced on Thursday, March 5.
Lopez-Santiago previously pleaded guilty to the entire eight-count indictment, including charges of aggravated vehicular homicide, second-d…
Man Hits Patrol Car, Injures Deputy, Flees Into Woods During Patterson Traffic Stop: Sheriff
A 33-year-old man faces felony charges after allegedly assaulting a deputy during a DWI stop in Putnam County, authorities said.
The incident began around 2:30 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 13, when a deputy pulled over a vehicle for speeding on Route 22 near Haviland Hollow Road (Route 68) in Patterson, the Putnam County Sheriff's Office announced.
The driver, later identified as Paul J. Cheque-Tacuri, 33, of Patterson, was suspected of being drunk, authorities said.
As the deputy investigated, Cheque-Tacuri’s vehicle rolled backward, hitting the patrol car. When the depu…
Drunk Driver Found Sleeping In Car On I-95 In Pelham Almost Hits Cop After Waking Up: Nysp
A driver from New Jersey is accused of passing out drunk behind the wheel in an active work zone on Interstate 95 in Westchester County, NY, then nearly hitting a trooper as he tried to drive away, police said.
The incident a little before 11:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 5, in the town of Pelham, according to New York State Police.
Troopers said they found Ramiro Efrain Tarcoguaman, 27, of New Jersey, unresponsive inside a 2013 Chevrolet stopped in the northbound center lane.
Officers broke a rear passenger window to reach him, at which point he allegedly shifted into drive, forcing a tr…
Erratic Drunk Driver Caught With Young Teen In Car On Route 55 In LaGrange: Police
A 62-year-old woman was arrested for drunk driving with a child passenger after a traffic stop in Dutchess County, authorities said.
The arrest happened on Sunday, Aug. 31, at around 6:30 p.m. on Route 55 in LaGrange, New York State Police announced on Monday, Sept. 1.
Troopers stopped a Jeep Wrangler after a BOLO alert from Dutchess County 911 reported the vehicle driving erratically. The driver, identified as 62-year-old Angela P. Torres of Jackson Heights, Queens, showed signs of being intoxicated, police said.
A 15-year-old child was also inside the vehicle at the time, aut…
Woman In Stolen Car Crashes In Gloucester Twp Work Zone, Found With Gun, High-Capacity Mags: PD
A Philadelphia woman is facing a long list of charges after police say she fled from officers in a stolen car, crashed in a Gloucester Township work zone, and was found with a revolver, high-capacity magazines, and drugs.
On Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025, at 2:27 p.m., Gloucester Township police officers were at the Howard Johnson Hotel for an unrelated call when a white Honda Accord entered the lot, Capt. Daniel Long said.
An Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) alerted that the vehicle was stolen out of Philadelphia, PA, police said. When officers tried to stop the car, a passenger jumped out …
Yonkers Drunk Driver Had 4 Kids In Car At Time Of Arrest, Police Say
A Hudson Valley man is facing felony charges after he was caught driving drunk with four children in the car, police said.
Ruben Fernandez-Urena, 34, of Yonkers, was arrested early Sunday, July 27, following a traffic stop on I-87 near Exit 9 in Tarrytown, according to New York State Police.
During the stop, Fernandez-Urena appeared intoxicated and failed multiple field sobriety tests, police said. A breath sample taken at the Tarrytown barracks reportedly showed a blood alcohol concentration of 0.12%.
Inside the car were four child passengers, ages 12, 11, 7, and 5.
Fernandez-Urena was a…
Speeding Driver Was High, Drunk During Patchogue Crash Injuring Passenger, DA Says
A 21-year-old man is facing DWI charges after crashing his BMW into a tree and seriously injuring his passenger, prosecutors said.
Andy Bonilla-Chicas, of Yaphank, was arraigned on vehicular assault and related charges in Suffolk County Court on Tuesday, July 22, in connection with a crash along Sunrise Highway Service Road in Patchogue.
Bonilla-Chicas was speeding eastbound when his vehicle veered off the road, went airborne, struck a tree, and landed in an embankment just before 3:30 a.m. Sunday, April 27, according to prosecutors.
The force of the crash threw the front-seat passenger in…
Wrong-Way Drunk Driver With Baby In Backseat Flees Cops, Then Tries Again In Brewster: Nysp
A Putnam County woman is facing a slew of charges after allegedly driving drunk with a one-year-old in the back seat, giving police a false name, and trying to flee a traffic stop twice, police said.
The incident happened on Wednesday night, July 16, around 10 p.m., when a trooper on patrol spotted a vehicle traveling the wrong way down Main Street (Route 6) in Brewster, nearly causing a head-on crash and committing multiple traffic violations, New York State Police said on Thursday, July 17.
According to police, the driver, later identified as 30-year-old Carol A. Julian-Ramire…
