Driver charged with attack after road rage incident on Ocean Parkway, cops say

A Massapequa motorist is facing assault charges after authorities say he attacked another driver with a baton during a road rage incident Sunday morning on Ocean Parkway  in Jones Beach State Park.

Jason A. Erny, 49, was arrested and charged with second-degree assault and menacing and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon, according to State Police.

Erny was driving a 2016 Dodge Charger about 8:15 a.m. and attempted to enter the westbound parkway from the  left entrance ramp and "drove into the path" of a 2017 Chevrolet Malibu also westbound, State Police said in a news release.

Erny "pulled into the path of the Chevrolet and stopped in the right lane of traffic" just east of the Jones Beach tower, police said. Both drivers got out of their vehicles and Erny, who police said was armed with a retractable baton, struck the other driver with the baton, according to the news release. Erney then fled, police said, and was arrested by State Police later at his home.

The Chevrolet driver had injuries that were not life threatening and was not charged, police said.

Erny was set to be arraigned at First District Court in Hempstead but no online arraignment information was available Sunday evening.

Attempts to reach Erny and his attorney Sunday were unsuccessful.

By Nicole Fuller

nicole.fuller@newsday.com@NicoleFuller

Nicole Fuller is Newsday's senior criminal justice reporter. She began working at Newsday in 2012 and previously covered local government.