State Police: Driver hits cruiser, arrested after pursuit

A Westbury man was arrested Friday morning on the Shinnecock Indian Reservation after he led state troopers on a pursuit and struck a police cruiser, authorities said.

Muhammad Haynes was charged with the felonies of driving while intoxicated, tampering with physical evidence and criminal mischief, as well as several misdemeanors and vehicle and traffic law violations, State Police said in a news release Saturday morning.

Troopers were patrolling Sunrise Highway in Southampton around 6:15 a.m. when they noticed a white Dodge Journey driving erratically east, the release stated. They pulled the Dodge over but as they approached the vehicle, Haynes drove off, police said.

The troopers followed the vehicle from Sunrise Highway to Montauk Highway and onto the reservation, in Southampton Town, according to the release. Haynes intentionally struck a police vehicle before hitting a parked car on Little Beach Road, police said.

The troopers arrested him after a struggle, requiring a trooper and Haynes to be taken to Stony Brook Hospital in Southampton for minor injuries, police said.