Wrong-way driver on Sunrise Highway charged with DWI, police say
Suffolk County police said they arrested an intoxicated driver in Sayville after a 911 caller reported seeing him heading the wrong way on Sunrise Highway early Saturday morning.
Police charged Gabriel Grande, 30, of East Meadow, with driving while intoxicated after he allegedly drove drunk westbound in the eastbound lanes of the highway.
A witness called 911 at 3:20 a.m. to report the incident, and a patrol officer from the Safe-T Team responded.
The officer pulled Grande over onto a shoulder near Exit 51 at 3:37 a.m., police said.
Grande was arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip later Saturday, where he pleaded not guilty and was released on his own recognizance. He was represented by the Suffolk County Legal Aid Society, which could not immediately be reached for comment Saturday evening.
There have been several high-profile drunken and drugged driving incidents on Long Island this year, including fatal crashes in Nassau County in the past week, according to authorities.
On Sunday, Patrice Huntley, 60, of Flushing, and his children, Jeremiah, 10, and Hannah, 13, of Uniondale, were killed when their car was allegedly rear-ended by Michael Deangelo, 32, who, according to authorities, was under the influence of narcotics and speeding. Another child hurt in the crash, Chantel Solomon, 6, of Uniondale, died Saturday, police said.
On Monday, Katerine Vanegas-Hernandez, 6, of West Hempstead, died after the car she was in was struck by Jorge Bonilla Gutierrez, 18, who allegedly had a blood alcohol content of more than double the legal limit.
In May, two 14-year-old elite tennis players, Drew Hassenbein and Ethan Falkowitz, died in Jericho after the vehicle they were in was allegedly struck by a wrong-way drunken driver. Amandeep Singh, 34, is facing two counts of aggravated vehicular homicide, manslaughter and other charges in the case, including operating a motor vehicle while impaired by drugs and reckless driving.
Check back for updates to this developing story.
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