Leandra’s Law arrest after Brentwood man flees cops, police say

A Brentwood man was driving drunk with his daughters, ages 3 and 6, in the car when he fled police and crashed, Nassau County police said Tuesday.

Taurean James, 34, of Patton Street, suffered injuries in the crash that were not life-threatening, and his daughters were not injured, police said.

James is being charged with drunken driving under Leandra’s Law, which makes it felony to drive while intoxicated or impaired by drugs with a child 15 or younger in the vehicle, police said.

Police said an officer on patrol at 11:13 p.m. Monday in East Meadow was flagged down by a witness who said a 2001 Honda Civic was being driven erratically.

The officer tried to stop the car in the eastbound lanes of Hempstead Turnpike, but the driver did not pull over, police said.

The Honda then sideswiped another car before coming to a stop on Hempstead Turnpike and Newbridge Road, police said.

“The officer approached the vehicle and immediately detected a strong odor of alcohol from the automobile and the driver’s breath,” police said in a news release. “The officer also observed the driver to have bloodshot eyes and slurred speech.”

The children were released to a grandmother and James, who was hospitalized, will be arraigned when he is medically fit, a police spokeswoman said.