Cops: Wrong-way driver had suspended license

The wrong-way driver who was allegedly drunk and high on drugs while police chased him on the Long Island Expressway late Wednesday was operating with a license that had been suspended after a drunken-driving arrest in July, authorities said.

Timothy P. Griffin, 43, of Yaphank, was arrested just before midnight east of Exit 68, the William Floyd Parkway in East Yaphank, after leading deputies on a four-mile chase as he drove his 2002 Chevy pickup westbound in the eastbound lanes at speeds of 60 mph, sheriff's spokesman Chief Michael Sharkey said.

Court records indicate deputies had arrested Griffin on a DWI charge on July 7 - and Sharkey said Griffin's license had been suspended as a result. Records showed Griffin was charged with operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, failure to maintain his lane and impeding traffic.

He was released on bail and his next appearance date was listed as Dec. 15 in First District Court in Central Islip.

A call to his listed attorney of record, Craig J. Fleischer of Hauppauge, was not immediately returned Thursday. It was not immediately clear if Griffin was represented by Fleischer in the latest case.

After the arrest in the incident Wednesday night, Griffin was charged with reckless endangerment, unlawful possession of marijuana, DWI-drugs, DWI, reckless driving and aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, the sheriff's office said.

Arraignment information was not immediately available.

The arrest of Griffin was the fourth wrong-way drunken-driving incident in Nassau and Suffolk since Nov. 15, police said. Less than two hours later police said another wrong-way drunken driver was stopped after a pursuit on Sunrise Highway near Exit 58 in Shirley. Police have not released the identity of that driver.

That made two incidents within two hours, three within the past week - and five wrong-way incidents in a month, according to police.

"Clearly these people are showing poor judgment and their lack of judgment is putting everyone else on the roadway's life in danger," Sharkey said. "Our officers, your family. Anyone who's out there is being put at risk . . . It's very alarming, very alarming."

Sharkey said a deputy traveling eastbound saw Griffin's pickup headed westbound in the westbound lanes veer across the expressway, then across the median and into the eastbound lanes just west of Exit 71 in Calverton.

That was at 11:22 p.m.

Three units pursued the pickup - sirens flashing, Sharkey said - but it took about four miles to stop him.

Sharkey said that Griffin passed several eastbound vehicles during the pursuit.

He said it was fortunate there were no collisions.

No one was injured.

"All you can do is stop people when they do this," Sharkey said. But, he said, of course that's after the fact. "We arrested him in July. He has a suspended license. It still doesn't stop the person. They can still get behind the wheel."