Police chase on LIE ends in DWI arrest

An early morning chase that began in Ronkonkoma ended Wednesday with the arrest of a drunken driver near Exit 68 on the Long Island Expressway in Yaphank - but not before he crashed into a Suffolk County police car, tried to elude officers while driving on just three tires and a bare rim, and crashed into an occupied vehicle that had broken down, police said.

Steven Keating, 44, of Nesconset was arrested at 2 a.m. on Express Drive South near the William Floyd Parkway after exiting the expressway and crashing into the disabled car. The officer whose patrol car was struck was taken to St. Charles Hospital in Port Jefferson, police said, while the driver of the disabled car was taken to Peconic Bay Medical Center in Riverhead. Both had minor injuries.

Keating was taken to Brookhaven Memorial Hospital in East Patchogue, also with minor injuries. Police said Keating, of Smithtown Boulevard, had "multiple warrants" outstanding issued by the NYPD.

He was charged with driving while intoxicated, unlawfully fleeing a police officer in a motor vehicle, third-degree criminal mischief, first-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, reckless driving and second-degree assault. Arraignment details were not immediately available Wednesday.

The incident began, police said, when Officer Jeffrey Pitkewicz, assigned to the Holiday DWI Task Force, saw Keating driving his 1994 Ford Ranger "erratically" south on Hawkins Avenue in Ronkonkoma.

When Pitkewicz tried to pull him over, police said, Keating drove off - and a chase began on Express Drive South, then onto the LIE.

During the chase, police said, Keating crashed into a marked patrol car. Stop sticks, designed to puncture and flatten tires, were placed along the LIE near Exit 66 in Yaphank and punctured a tire, which then came off the rim. But Keating continued to drive, police said, and exited the expressway at Exit 68. He continued east on the service road but crashed into the disabled vehicle - and finally stopped, police said.

Neither the injured officer nor the motorist were identified by authorities.