Man tried to flee troopers in Hempstead, police

A Carle Place man who briefly tried to elude troopers on the Meadowbrook State Parkway Tuesday night in Hempstead faces misdemeanor drug charges, State Police said.

Jiraj Hampton, 23, of 1 Parkside Dr., was driving a gray Saturn south on the parkway at about 11:45 p.m. when troopers tried to pull him over for an apparent seat belt violation, according to a report.

Hampton sped away briefly, then stopped on eastbound Hempstead Turnpike, the report said.

Troopers detected a strong odor of marijuana while interviewing Hampton, and a search produced a 30-gram bag of marijuana, slightly more than an ounce, in Hampton's trunk, police said.

Hampton was arrested and charged with criminal possession of marijuana and several traffic violations, including reckless driving.

Arraignment information was not immediately available.