Car hits guardrail, severs pole, catches fire in Smithtown, Suffolk police say

A driver struck a guardrail, severed a utility pole and ended up in a ditch — where his Honda Accord caught fire — just before midnight Monday in Smithtown, Suffolk police said.

Christopher Steiner, 21, of Port Jefferson, had been headed east on Route 25 near Old Willets Path when he left the road. The car was "fully engulfed," the police said, adding the Smithtown Fire Department put the fire out.

Steiner, who was located around 8 a.m. Tuesday, was arrested and charged with leaving the scene of an accident with property damage, police said. It was not immediately clear if he was represented by counsel.