Ronkonkoma father drove drunk on LIE, cops say

A Ronkonkoma father was driving drunk with four children as passengers when his vehicle struck a car on the Long Island Expressway late Sunday, Suffolk County police said.

Courtney Barker, 28, of Warren Avenue, is charged under Leandra's Law with felony aggravated driving while intoxicated, driving while intoxicated and four counts of endangering the welfare of a child, police said.

Barker also was issued three citations for vehicle and traffic law violations, police said Monday.

Barker was driving a 2006 Cadillac SRX east on the expressway near Exit 59 in Ronkonkoma about 9:20 p.m. when his car collided with a 2012 Buick, causing damage to both vehicles, police said.

Barker, his wife and four children -- ages 2, 4, 9 and 14 -- were in the vehicle at the time; no one was injured, police said.

Police interviewing Barker determined he was under the influence of alcohol and arrested him.

Under Leandra's Law, driving drunk with a passenger age 15 or younger is a felony. The law, passed in 2009, is named for Leandra Rosado, 11, who was killed in a DWI accident after the minivan in which she was a passenger crashed in Manhattan.

Barker was held overnight at the Fourth Precinct and was scheduled to be arraigned Monday at First District Court in Central Islip.