East Northport resident Daniel Lugo, 43, was driving southbound on the Causeway shortly after 1 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 13 in West Islip, when he lost control and crashed into the wooded shoulder area near exit RM2W (27A/West Babylon).
The Sheriff’s Office said that Lugo wound up trapped behind the wheel of the vehicle and had to be extracted by the West Islip Fire Department.
While interviewing Lugo, deputies found that his speech was slurred, his eyes were bloodshot and glassy, and he had to be assisted onto a stretcher by firefighters at the scene. The Sheriff noted that Lugo also had the strong odor of alcohol on his breath.
According to investigators, Lugo “demonstrated clues while performing the standardized field sobriety test that he able to perform indicating he was intoxicated.”
Lugo was arrested and transported to Good Samaritan Hospital for treatment and evaluation. A blood test conducted by the Medical Examiner’s Office is currently pending analysis at the Suffolk County Crime Laboratory.
Lugo was charged with driving while intoxicated, a misdemeanor. He has since been released and is scheduled to appear in court at a later date to respond to the charge.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Brentwood and receive free news updates.