Man accused of driving high on drugs in crash ordered to jail

A Rocky Point man who police said was high on drugs when he crashed his car head-on into another vehicle driven by a young mother with a newborn baby in tow was ordered jailed Wednesday.

Denis Karachopan, 24, was arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip on charges of first-degree driving while being impaired by drugs and seventh-degree possession of a controlled substance.

Judge G. Ann Spelman remanded Karachopan on bail of $10,000 cash or $20,000 bond. He is scheduled to be back in court in one week.

A spokeswoman for the Suffolk County district attorney said police found Karachopan possessed heroin.

Police said Karachopan was driving west on Route 25A near Blackfoot Trail in East Shoreham when his 2000 BMW "crossed over" and struck the woman's 2008 Nissan shortly after 11 a.m. Tuesday.

The mother was seriously hurt, Suffolk County police said, and her 3-week-old infant was taken to Stony Brook University Hospital along with the mother.

The infant did not appear injured, police said Tuesday.

A police spokeswoman Wednesday had no additional information on the condition of either the mother or the infant.