Woman arrested for DWI in Middle Island fatal crash, police say

A woman was arrested for driving while intoxicated following a fatal crash Friday night in Middle Island,  according to Suffolk County police.

Melissa Koprowski, 31, of Yaphank, was charged with DWI after the crash that killed Esther Gui, 75, of Coram, police said.

Esther Gui was a passenger in a 2022 Nissan Rogue SUV that was traveling westbound on Middle Country Road when it collided with Koprowski's eastbound 2014 Dodge Durango SUV, which was turning left onto Wading River Hollow Road at about 8:40 p.m., according to a release from police.

The Nissan was driven by Gui's daughter Crystal Marks, 33, of Coram, who was transported to Long Island Community Hospital in Patchogue for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries, according to the release. Gui’s 22-month-old granddaughter Celine Martin, who was seated behind the driver at the time of the crash, was not injured.

Koprowski also was transported to the same hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. She will be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip, police said. 

The intersection where the crash occurred has a left turn arrow. Newsday has reached out to the police regarding what stage the arrow was in at the time of the crash.

Impaired driving was a factor in about two-thirds (65.7%) of fatal crashes in Suffolk in 2023, according to data from the Institute for Traffic Safety Management and Research. That’s much higher than statewide, where the figure was 40.2%.

Earlier this week, Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine and Suffolk police acting Commissioner Robert Waring announced that the department will assign DWI patrols throughout the county during the entire holiday season with an emphasis during Thanksgiving weekend and the week of Christmas and New Year’s.

The Wednesday before Thanksgiving is notorious for drunken driving, with some referring to the day before the holiday as "Blackout Wednesday."

Check back for updates on this developing story.

More coverage: Long Island traffic crashes claimed 243 lives in 2022, 29% more than in 2019, Newsday has reported. The level was the highest since 2015, as dangerous driving increased post-COVID-19 and police traffic enforcement dropped, according to a Newsday analysis of crash and ticketing data and traffic experts.