Flanders woman drove drunk with daughter in car, cops say

A Flanders woman was arrested and charged with felony drunken driving under Leandra’s Law after a Southampton Town police officer stopped her sport utility vehicle early Friday in Riverside — and saw she had her 3-year-old daughter in the car.

Flora A. Suruy, 26, was charged with driving while intoxicated under Leandra’s Law, which makes it a felony, even on first offense, to drive with a child under 16 in the vehicle.

She also was charged with failing to maintain her lane of travel, operation of a motor vehicle without a license and endangering the welfare of a child. She was held for arraignment Friday.

Police said the stop occurred on County Road 94 at 1:52 a.m. after an officer spotted Suruy’s 2008 Mazda SUV “failing to maintain” its lane on northbound Flanders Road. Suruy’s vehicle was then stopped on County Road 94 and police said an investigation determined she was intoxicated.

The child, who was not injured, was released to the custody of a family member.

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.”