Driver Arrested for DWI After Leaving Trail of Destruction From Lindenhurst to Copiague

COPIAGUE, N.Y. — A Central Islip man was arrested for driving while intoxicated Tuesday afternoon after his pickup truck left a trail of destruction along Montauk Highway from Lindenhurst to Copiague.

Officers from the Suffolk County Police Department’s First Precinct responded at approximately 1:30 p.m. to Montauk Highway, where a trail of damage stretched for several blocks.

The pickup truck first struck a utility pole and a sedan at the intersection of Montauk Highway and South 16th Street in Lindenhurst before leaving the scene and continuing westbound. The driver of the sedan reportedly suffered minor injuries, while the vehicle sustained significant damage.

The pickup continued for nearly another half-mile, striking a second utility pole, decorative lampposts, a tree and multiple roadside signs in front of the South Bay Motel.

The truck eventually came to a stop just short of the intersection of Montauk Highway and Pinelawn Avenue in Copiague, where Narayan Ramjatan, 30, was taken into custody by Suffolk County Police and arrested for driving while intoxicated.

The crashes left utility poles and other roadside infrastructure destroyed. Two separate sections of the highway were closed in both directions after the collisions brought power lines down across the roadway.

The incident remains under investigation by Suffolk County Police.