Oyster Bay driver cited for racing at 130 mph on LIE, police say
Suffolk police cited a man with illegal speed contest on the westbound Long Island Expressway near Exit 59 in Ronkonkoma late Friday night. Credit: SCPD
Suffolk County police said they cited a man for driving about 130 mph on the Long Island Expressway late Friday night.
Lelis Zavala, 23, was racing another vehicle on the LIE around midnight, Suffolk police said in a press release. The Oyster Bay resident was driving a Toyota Corolla west near Exit 59 in Ronkonkoma when the Suffolk County Street Takeover Task Force pulled him over, police said.
Zavala’s car was impounded and he was cited for "Unlawful Speed Contest, along with eight other vehicle and traffic infractions," including reckless driving, according to the Suffolk police statement Saturday.
He is scheduled to be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip on March 28. If convicted, he faces jail time, fines and license suspensions or revocations under state law.
In its statement, Suffolk police did not release any information about the car Zavala was racing.
The incident is among several street racing episodes on Long Island. Just last month, Suffolk’s Street Takeover Task Force stopped two 20-year-olds who were racing at speeds of nearly 110 mph on the LIE in Shirley, Newsday reported.
In November, Suffolk formed the Street Takeover Task Force after a street race injured a police officer and caused a fiery crash near Sunrise Highway in Islip, Newsday previously reported.
With Peter Gill
Suffolk County police said they cited a man for driving about 130 mph on the Long Island Expressway late Friday night.
Lelis Zavala, 23, was racing another vehicle on the LIE around midnight, Suffolk police said in a press release. The Oyster Bay resident was driving a Toyota Corolla west near Exit 59 in Ronkonkoma when the Suffolk County Street Takeover Task Force pulled him over, police said.
Zavala’s car was impounded and he was cited for "Unlawful Speed Contest, along with eight other vehicle and traffic infractions," including reckless driving, according to the Suffolk police statement Saturday.
He is scheduled to be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip on March 28. If convicted, he faces jail time, fines and license suspensions or revocations under state law.
In its statement, Suffolk police did not release any information about the car Zavala was racing.
The incident is among several street racing episodes on Long Island. Just last month, Suffolk’s Street Takeover Task Force stopped two 20-year-olds who were racing at speeds of nearly 110 mph on the LIE in Shirley, Newsday reported.
In November, Suffolk formed the Street Takeover Task Force after a street race injured a police officer and caused a fiery crash near Sunrise Highway in Islip, Newsday previously reported.
With Peter Gill
Sam Kmack covers the Town of Islip for Newsday. He is a graduate of the University of Southern California and previously worked as a city watchdog reporter in the Phoenix metro area, as well as an investigative journalist at the Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting.
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