Cops: Man arrested after driving wrong way on Ocean State Parkway

An Akron, Ohio, man, driving the wrong way on Ocean State Parkway on Thursday morning, took State Police on a chase that led to damage to five vehicles, and minor injuries to a New York State trooper, law enforcement officials said.

Jose Cortez-Peraza, 21, was taken into custody after being blocked on the eastbound shoulder of the parkway, west of Robert Moses Causeway, State Police said.

The incident began shortly after 6 a.m. when police received a call for a wrong-way driver on the westbound Ocean Parkway in the Town of Babylon, authorities said.

Troopers located the vehicle and a pursuit was initiated, police said.

During the chase, four marked State Police vehicles were damaged along with the suspect’s vehicle, officials said.

A trooper sustained minor injuries, police said. State Police did not respond to an inquiry about the injuries.

Cortez-Peraza was charged with driving while impaired by drugs, second-degree reckless endangerment, reckless endangerment of property, third-degree fleeing an officer, fourth-degree criminal mischief and third-degree criminal possession of cannabis.

He was being held for arraignment Friday at Suffolk County First District Court in Central Islip.

By Robert Brodsky

robert.brodsky@newsday.com@BrodskyRobert

Robert Brodsky is a breaking news reporter who has worked at Newsday since 2011. He is a Queens College and American University alum.