Police arrest two men in DWI crashes with kids in cars
A Westbury man was allegedly drunk when he set off a multi-car collision in Hauppage early Friday morning. Credit: Stringer News Service
Two drivers were charged overnight with driving while intoxicated with a child in the car, Nassau and Suffolk police said.
Both men collided with vehicles that were in front of them. In Hauppauge, police said the driver triggered a chain reaction of multiple collisions.
Rafael Garcia-Erazo, 34, of Westbury, and Manuel B. Asuncion, 46, of Elmont, were charged with driving while intoxicated, aggravated driving while intoxicated with a child passenger 15 years old or younger — a Leandra’s Law violation — and endangering the welfare of a child. No injuries were reported.
In Hauppauge, police said Garcia-Erazo was driving a 2016 Nissan sedan with two passengers — an adult cousin and a 12-year-old — west on Express Drive North. He was near the Wheeler Road intersection when he hit a 2014 Volkswagen sedan that had stopped for a red light just after 1 a.m. Friday, police said.
The Volkswagen then hit a 2012 Ford that had stopped in front of it. The Ford crashed into the 2006 Nissan it was behind, police said.
In Elmont, Asuncion was behind the wheel of a 2006 Suzuki SUV with his 6-year-old child in the car when he smacked into the back of a Nissan Rogue that was stopped in the McDonald’s drive-thru on Elmont Road, according to police.
Both children were released to family members, police said.
Garcia-Erazo and Asuncion are set to be arraigned on Friday.
It was not known if they were represented by counsel.
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