Driver faces slew of charges after fleeing LIE accident; another man who chased him gets hit by car, cops say
Suffolk County police said a Westbury man was arrested on drunken driving charges after a crash on the Long Island Expressway near Exit 62 in Holtsville at 11:44 p.m. on Sept. 2, 2015. Credit: Stringer News Service
A driver who ran from the scene of a minor accident on the Long Island Expressway in Holtsville Wednesday night was later arrested on several charges, but only after a man who chased him on foot was seriously injured -- struck by another vehicle on the LIE South Service Road, police said.
Jonathan Moore, 26, of Westbury, is accused of fleeing the crash scene before stealing a vehicle from a Holtsville chemical company, striking a security gate there, abandoning the vehicle on Route 112 in Patchogue and burglarizing a nearby car dealership before being caught, police said Thursday.
Moore, a driver for a Bay Shore trucking company, was charged with two counts of driving while intoxicated and one count each of leaving the scene of an incident, grand larceny, criminal mischief and burglary, police said.
At arraignment in First District Court in Central Islip, Moore pleaded not guilty before Judge Karen Kerr, the district attorney's office said. Bail was set at $42,500 cash or $85,000 bond. Police said Moore was taken to Stony Brook University Hospital, where he was treated for undisclosed injuries and released to authorities.Police said the initial crash involved three vehicles and occurred at 11:44 p.m. on the LIE near Exit 62, Nicolls Road. Following that accident, police said Moore ran, pursued on foot by another man, whose identity was not released yesterdayThursday. It was not clear if that man was involved in the original accident.
His condition was not immediately known Thursday.
Sixth Squad detectives investigated and determined that after the crash Moore stole a vehicle from Pride Solvents, 6 Long Island Ave., and struck a security gate there about 12:20 a.m.
About 20 minutes later, "he abandoned the stolen vehicle on Route 112 in Patchogue," police said.
Moore then burglarized 20th Century Cars, 237 Rte. 112, Patchogue, police said. They said he tried to find car keys about 1 a.m. "He was located and arrested nearby."
Police said anyone with information could call Sixth Squad detectives at 631-854-8652.
John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”
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