LI NEWS BRIEFS

NORTH BELLPORT / Driver dies in two-car crash

The driver of a sport utility vehicle was killed Saturday when he apparently lost control of his vehicle on Sunrise Highway in North Bellport, jumped the median and slammed into an oncoming pickup truck, officials said.

The highway was closed in both directions after the crash at 4:30 p.m., officials said.

The driver of the Chevrolet pickup was taken to a hospital, but his injuries did not appear to be serious, according to Chief Michael Sharkey the Suffolk County Sheriff's Office.

The driver of the Lincoln Navigator was pronounced dead at the scene, Sharkey said. The drivers' identities were not released.

Two hours after the accident, Sunrise Highway was still closed eastbound at Station Road and westbound at Hospital Road, Sharkey said.

-- WILLIAM MURPHY

HUNTINGTON / Charged in pizzeria attack

A Huntington Station woman has been charged with being part of a group that beat two women after an argument outside a Huntington pizza parlor, Suffolk police said.

Maritza Rios, 24, was arrested about 11:30 p.m. Friday and was charged with two counts of assault. She was awaiting arraignment, police said Saturday.

Rios and a group of three or four men attacked the victims outside Little Vincent's Pizza on New York Avenue about 3:25 a.m. on Aug. 20, police said.

One of the victims suffered a broken nose and cuts; the other got a concussion, police said.

Rios punched both victims, while one of the men with her struck one of the victims, police said. One of the men involved in the assault was seen videotaping it, police said.

-- WILLIAM MURPHY

LEVITTOWN / Cops: Mom in crash drunk

A woman who crashed into two cars in the parking lot of a Gulf gas station in Levittown was driving drunk with her 8-year-old daughter in the car, police said.

Nassau police said Elizabeth Goolsby, 38, of Kingfisher Road, Levittown, had a blood-alcohol content of .18 percent, more than twice the limit legal of .08.

She was arrested and charged with aggravated driving while intoxicated under Leandra's Law, which makes it an automatic felony, even on first offense, to drive drunk with a person under 16 in the vehicle, police said.

The crash occurred at the gas station on Salisbury Park Drive and North Newbridge Road about 3:30 p.m. Thursday. No one was injured.

Goolsby's daughter was placed in the custody of a family friend, police said.

In addition to being charged with aggravated DWI under Leandra's Law, Goolsby also was charged with aggravated DWI for having a blood-alcohol content of .18 percent, endangering the welfare of a child, unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and three counts of aggravated unlicensed operation.

Police said she also has an outstanding warrant for a prior aggravated unlicensed operation charge.

Goolsby was scheduled for arraignment Friday in First District Court in Hempstead.

-- JOHN VALENTI

WEST BABYLON / Crash victim identified

Suffolk police have identified a motorist who died in a two-vehicle crash in West Babylon as a Hampton Bays woman.

Miriam Ortiz, 60, died when the sedan she was driving was struck in the rear by a box truck about 3 p.m. Wednesday on Sunrise Highway near Little East Neck Road, police said. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

There were no charges filed against the driver of the truck, Ramis Kirlangic, 49, of Fairview, N.J., authorities said. Kirlangic was not injured in the crash, police said.

-- BILL MASON