Drunk Driver Leaves Scene of Crash With Serious Head Injury: Police

EAST HAMPTON, NY — A New York man was cuffed after he was caught driving drunk and leaving the scene of a crash with a serious head injury, police said.

According to East Hampton Town Police, Justin Hogan, 44, was arrested on Friday at 4:18 p.m. on Two Mile Hollow Road after he left the scene of a crash in his black Chevy SUV.

He was charged with driving while intoxicated, first offense, a misdemeanor, leaving the scene of an accident with property damage, a violation, refusal to take a breath test, a violation, operating a motor vehicle without financial security, a violation, failure to use designated lane, a violation, and speed not reasonable and prudent, a violation, police said.

Upon arrival, police found a vehicle with "heavy front end damage" parked on the side of the road, authorities said.

An additional report came in that a person with a red shirt was seen walking his dog with what "appeared to be a serious head injury," police said.

An officer located the man on Middle Lane near Egypt Lane, police said. The man said he'd been in an "accident at the beach" and didn't have his cell phone so he left the scene and was trying to walk home, police said.

Hogan had bloodshot, glassy eyes, the odor of an alcoholic beverage on his person, was unsteady on his feet, had slurred speech, failed several roadside sobriety tests and refused to take a pre-screening breath test, police said. He also stated that he had "taken a whole bunch of medications as he had the flu but he was unsure what exactly what he had taken," police said.

He was arrested and taken to Southampton Hospital for evaluation, police said.

At the hospital, Hogan was read an alcohol influence report and was given the opportunity to take an evidentiary blood test; he refused three separate times, police said. He was held to complete medical evaluations and then released on his own recognizance; he is expected back at court on October 26, police said.