Cops: Homeless man struck, killed by car in Lindenhurst, driver charged

A car struck and killed a homeless man in Lindenhurst early Sunday and the driver was arrested on charges of driving while intoxicated, authorities said.

The victim, Robert Vitale, 40, was transported to Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center in West Islip where he was pronounced dead, police said.

Lita Davidson, 30, of Bay Shore, the driver of a 2016 Hyundai Elantra, was taken into custody on the DWI charge and will be held overnight at the 4th Precinct in Hauppauge, police said. She is expected to be arraigned Monday in First District Court in Central Islip, police said.

Davidson was driving eastbound about 4 a.m. on Montauk Highway near E. Shore Road in Lindenhurst when the Hyundai left the roadway and hit Vitale and a telephone pole, according to police.

Suffolk police major case detectives are investigating the crash, police said.

By Vera Chinese

vera.chinese@newsday.com@VeraChinese

Vera Chinese joined Newsday in 2017 after working as an editor for the East End lifestyle publication northforker and a general assignment reporter for the New York Daily News.