37°
The incident began around 4 a.m., Friday, April 17, when a Nassau County Police patrol officer noticed a newer model gray Jeep Cherokee and a 2016 Lincoln Navigator driving southbound on Glen Cove Road in East Hills at a high rate of speed, police said.
According to detectives, the officer activated her emergency lights to conduct a stop, but both vehicles refused to comply and continued southbound.
The driver of the Navigator was forced to brake abruptly to avoid striking a tractor-trailer. The driver then attempted to strike the officer’s patrol car, police said.
The subject accelerated at a high rate of speed while attempting to go around the tractor-trailer and lost control of the Lincoln, striking a telephone pole, fence and tree, police said.
After colliding with the tree, a large branch fell and struck the officer’s vehicle. The driver, Rodolfo Lopez, 23, East Hills, was placed under arrest. The investigation revealed the Lincoln was stolen from Old Brookville, police said.
The officer suffered injuries to her left forearm, hand, collar bone and neck. She was transported to an area hospital, treated and released.
Lopez was transported to an area hospital for nonlife-threatening injuries. He was in possession of multiple stolen credit cards, police added.
The Jeep fled southbound on Glen Cove Road.
The investigation is ongoing.
Lopez is charged with:
- assault,
- seven counts of criminal possession of stolen property,
- criminal possession of stolen property,
- reckless endangerment,
- obstructing governmental administration,
- unlawful fleeing a police officer,
- and multiple traffic violations.
He will be arraigned when medically possible, police said.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Brentwood and receive free news updates.
