Levittown man arrested in hit-and-run

A Levittown motorist caused an accident in Holbrook and drove off but was arrested after a couple in their car followed him to Shirley, where they flagged an officer, Suffolk police said Friday.

James Byrnes, 26, of 8 Mill Lane, was charged with leaving the scene of an accident and driving while impaired by drugs, police said.

He was in his Infiniti just after noon Friday, eastbound on Sunrise Highway near Nicolls Road in Holbrook, when he crashed into a Nissan Pathfinder, causing it to roll several times, police said.

The Nissan driver, a 44-year-old woman from East Islip, was taken to the hospital with minor injuries, police said.

Byrnes took off at a "high rate of speed," police said, and several witnesses called 911 with details of his car.

A Good Samaritan team of husband and wife followed Byrnes in their car, police said, and a short time later on the southbound William Floyd Parkway, the couple spotted a patrol car at 12:19 p.m.

They motioned to Officer Matthew Dewitt, pointing several times to the Infiniti and shouting, "He hit somebody on Sunrise Highway," police said.

At that moment, Byrnes had stopped for a red light at McGraw Street, police said. Dewitt gave Byrnes field sobriety tests and made the arrest.