Man ticketed after flying drone on Robert Moses Causeway bridge, police say

A North Babylon man briefly halted traffic on a bridge to Fire Island after appearing to film his white Corvette with a drone on Christmas, police said.

Antonio Ariza, 47, drove southbound on the Robert Moses Causeway Double Span Bridge in West Islip at less than 15 mph before stopping his 2017 Chevrolet in the bridge’s right lane around 1:15 p.m., Suffolk police said. A passenger got out and ran into the road to retrieve a drone that had been operating overhead, police said.

Officer Edmund McDowell, a Suffolk marine bureau officer, pulled Ariza over and asked him to move off the bridge, police said. He then issued Ariza two summonses for impeding traffic and stopping on a state highway after they pulled off the bridge, police said.

Ariza could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

By Rachelle Blidner

rachelle.blidner@newsday.com@rachelleblidner

Rachelle Blidner covers Suffolk County government, politics and breaking news.