Man charged with DWI in fatal accident arraigned

A Brentwood man who was charged with driving while under the influence of drugs and alcohol after a motor vehicle crash that killed his passenger in Hauppauge was arraigned on Sunday in Central Islip.

At his arraignment at First District Court, Luis Flores, 31, was ordered held on $150,000 bond or $75,000 cash bail for the DWI charge, and $50,000 bond or $25,000 cash bail for a charge of aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle in connection with the early Saturday crash.

He is due back in court on Thursday.

Flores had been driving a 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee north on Holiday Park Drive when his vehicle struck a curb, then hit a tree and landed on its side at 3:37 a.m., Suffolk police said. Flores' passenger, Larita Thorpe, 42, of Central Islip, was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

Flores and three other passengers were treated at hospitals for non-life-threatening injuries.

The investigation is continuing and detectives ask anyone with information on the crash to call the Fourth Squad at 631-854-8452 or Crime Stoppers at 800-220-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential.