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In Suffolk County, deputies from the Sheriff’s Office were on patrol on the LIE in Yaphank when they stopped the vehicle at approximately 3:50 p.m. on Friday, March 25.
While deputies approached the vehicle, it sped away, according to the sheriff's office.
Edward Smith, age 20, of Yaphank, a passenger in the front seat took off on foot and was apprehended and faces charges for crack, fentanyl, and heroin possession.
For days, the driver, Daniel Mason, age 20, remained elusive to investigators before he was arrested at his Yaphank residence on Wednesday, March 30.
According to officials, an investigation by the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Bureau used evidence collected at the scene and surveillance video to locate Mason, who was arrested as he left his home address by officers conducting surveillance of his residence.
Mason was charged with:
- Five counts of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance;
- Fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance;
- Unlawful fleeing of a police officer in a motor vehicle;
- Reckless driving.
Investigators noted that the vehicle from the original incident has been impounded and an investigation is ongoing including the processing of that vehicle.
“Suffolk County Deputy Sheriffs are patrolling our county’s roads day and night to keep the public safe,” Sheriff Errol Toulon, Jr. said at the time of Smith’s arrest. “A seemingly straightforward traffic stop for speeding can turn into a dangerous situation for the deputies and the public when the driver attempts to flee.
“In this case, thankfully no one was seriously injured and Deputies took dangerous drugs off the streets. I thank my deputies for their hard work.”
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