Mom Was Driving Drunk At Time Of Southern State Parkway Crash That Broke Son's Leg, Police Say

A 37-year-old Long Island mother was severely intoxicated when she caused a highway crash that left her toddler son with a broken leg and injured another driver, authorities said.

A 37-year-old Amityville woman is facing drunk driving charges following a crash on the Southern State Parkway in Hempstead that left her 3-year-old son with a broken leg and injured another driver.
Photo Credit: *Google Maps street view/Canva user MattGush*

Michael Mashburn

01/05/2023 9:30 a.m.

State Police in Nassau County were called just after 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 3, with reports of a crash on the Southern State Parkway in Hempstead.

Investigators determined that Louewanda Benjamin, of Amityville, was driving eastbound near Hempstead Avenue when her Toyota Camry struck the back of a Chevrolet Equinox.

The impact left her 3-year-old son with a broken leg and the driver of the Equinox with non-life-threatening injuries, police said. They were both taken to Mount Sinai South Nassau Hospital for treatment.

Benjamin was not injured in the collision.

Subsequent testing revealed that the woman had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.24 percent at the time, three times the legal limit to drive, according to police.

Troopers arrested Benjamin on multiple felony charges, including vehicular assault, aggravated DWI with a child in the vehicle, and endangering the welfare of a child.

She was expected to be arraigned in Nassau County First District Court in Hempstead at a later date.

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