Drunken Driver Was Doing 85, Running Red Lights: GCPD

Garden City police officers arrested an 18-year-old man from Floral Park this week for drunkenly driving at excessive speeds and driving through multiple red lights.

Police say an officer saw a car driving west on Stewart Avenue on Aug. 13 doing 85 MPH and driving through red lights at Tanners Pond Road, Clinch Avenue and New Hyde Park Road. The car then crashed into a tree on Covert Avenue.

The 18-year-old driver survived and was arrested. He was charged with DWI, excessive speed and passing three red traffic signal lights.

Here's what else Garden City police say happened in your village this week.

• The driver’s side of a vehicle parked in Parking Field 11 was found damaged on Aug. 8.
• A large SUV traveling east on Sixth Street struck the Chestnut Street train overpass on Aug. 8. The driver and three passengers were transported to a local hospital for various non-life threatening injuries. The driver, a 39-year-old woman from Mineola, was charged with disregarding bridge clearance signs and uninsured operation.

• Officers were assigned to the intersection of Stewart Avenue and Clinton Road for a lengthy traffic light malfunction on Aug. 9.
• Garden City detectives arrested a 17-year-old man from Elmont on Aug. 9 for leaving the scene of a two-vehicle accident on Stewart Avenue on July 28. He was also charged with unlicensed operation.
• Money and a set of curtains were reported stolen from a vehicle parked at a Newmarket Road residence on Aug. 9.
• A commercial vehicle inspection was conducted by officers on Clinton Road on Aug. 9. There were 14 vehicles were inspected, of which 10 were placed out of service. Officers issued 95 tickets for various traffic and safety violations, including 10 overweight violations, four defective brake violations, a defective steering violation, two hazardous material violations and three unsecured load violations. In addition, one driver, a 47-year-old man from Shirley, was charged with aggravated unlicensed operation (suspended license).

• A handbag containing personal papers and other items was reported stolen from a vehicle parked at a Brixton Road residence on Aug. 10.

• On Aug. 11, a vehicle travelling south on Clinton Road was stopped by an officer for speeding. Upon investigation, the driver, a 24-year-old woman from Shirley, was arrested for driving with nine license suspensions, unlicensed operation and excessive speed (64 MPH in a 30 MPH zone).
• Two wreaths were reported stolen from the front door of a Garden Street home on Aug. 13.
• A vehicle was stopped for passing a red light on Franklin Avenue at Stewart Avenue on Aug. 14. Upon investigation, the driver, a 44-year-old man from Hempstead, was arrested for DWI and passing a red traffic signal light.
• Two vehicles on Wilson Street were entered during the overnight hours on Aug. 14. There is no reported loss at this time.

Photo: Patch