Police: Man drove drunk with 2 young daughters, hit another vehicle

An East Meadow man was arrested and charged with drunken driving under Leandra's Law following a minor car accident late Sunday afternoon in East Meadow, police said.

Nassau County police said Dave L. Edwards, 35, was driving a 2001 BMW M5 on East Meadow Avenue with his two daughters, aged 3 and 5, when he crashed into a 2019 Honda CRV stopped for a traffic light at the intersection of North Jerusalem Road at 5:25 p.m. The 71-year-old female driver in the Honda was not injured in the crash, police said. Neither, police said, was Edwards or his children.

But, police said an investigation determined Edwards was intoxicated — and he was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated, two counts of aggravated DWI under Leandra's Law and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child.

The two girls were released to the custody of a family member, police said.

Police said Edwards faces arraignment Monday in First District Court in Hempstead. It was not immediately clear if he is represented by counsel.

By John Valenti

john.valenti@newsday.com

John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”