1 Woman Dead, 8 Injured In LI Crash; Driver Charged With DWAI: PD

BRENTWOOD — A woman died and eight people were injured Saturday after a car crash in Brentwood involving a driver who was arrested and charged with driving while ability impaired by drugs, Suffolk County Police said.

Christian Lopez, 27, of Brentwood, was driving a 2014 Acura TL eastbound on Second Avenue, just west of Hilltop Drive, at 9:40 p.m., when his vehicle struck the rear of an eastbound 2004 Toyota Camry, police said. The impact pushed the Toyota sideways into the westbound lane where it was struck in the passenger side by a westbound 2021 Jeep Wrangler, police said.

Lopez was arrested and charged with DWAI, a misdemeanor, police said. The Suffolk County District Attorney's Office will review the case to determine if upgraded charges will be filed, police said.

Soraida Polanco, 57, of Brentwood, a front seat passenger in the Toyota, was taken to South Shore University Hospital in Bay Shore where she was pronounced dead, police said. Her husband, the driver of the Toyota, was taken to the same hospital with serious injuries; a backseat passenger in the Toyota was transported to Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center in West Islip with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

Two backseat passengers of the Jeep, 71 and 69, were taken to South Shore University Hospital with serious and non-life threatening injuries, police said.

The driver of the Jeep, a 39-year-old woman, and her two sons, 14 and 10, were transported to Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

Lopez was transported to South Shore University Hospital where he was treated for minor injuries and released; he was held overnight at the Third Precinct and was arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip Sunday, police said.