Cops: Drug charges for parkway driver

A Lindenhurst man pulled over Wednesday for making unsafe lane changes on the Southern State Parkway in Bellmore faces charges of drug possession and driving with a suspended license, State Police said.

Christopher Brandel, 21, was driving a black Chevrolet Lumina east on the parkway and changing lanes unsafely west of Newbridge Road at about 3:12 p.m., according to a news release.

He was pulled over by a trooper and found to be driving with a suspended license, police said.

Troopers searched the car and found one gram of marijuana, police said, and Brandel "was also found with two Xanax pills."

Brandel was arrested and is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, unlawful possession of marijuana, driving with a suspended license and several traffic violations, police said.

His arraignment information was not immediately available.