A Brentwood, New York man has been arrested after allegedly speeding on the Long Island Expressway (LIE) while impaired by drugs and causing a crash that critically injured a police officer, according to authorities.
Court records indicate that the 29-year-old suspect is facing multiple charges, including driving while ability impaired by drugs, second-degree assault, second-degree unlawful fleeing of a police officer in a motor vehicle, and reckless driving.
The incident occurred when Highway Patrol Officer Brendon Gallagher was conducting a traffic stop on the westbound side of the LIE. A 2021 Ford Mustang reportedly drove by at a high rate of speed, catching Gallagher's attention.
Officer Gallagher, a member of the Street Takeover Task Force, attempted to pull over the speeding vehicle by activating his lights and sirens. However, the driver of the Mustang, later identified as the suspect, lost control of the car and sideswiped Gallagher's patrol car.
The impact caused Gallagher's patrol car to veer off the highway and flip upside down. The suspect's Mustang also left the roadway, striking a light post in the process.
An off-duty Nassau County Police officer passing by at the time of the crash stopped to assist and managed to apprehend the suspect.
Gallagher, critically injured in the crash, was airlifted to Stony Brook University Hospital for treatment. The suspect was taken to South Shore University Hospital in Bay Shore for non-life-threatening injuries.
The suspect was arraigned in First District Court in Central Islip and has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
