Driver Charged with DWI in Melville Crash that Kills Passenger

A Deer Park man was arrested for driving while intoxicated after a two-vehicle crash killed his passenger in Melville early Sunday morning, authorities said.

Suffolk Police say Daniel Moreira was driving a 2013 Toyota Corolla west on the Long Island Expressway, near Exit 49, at 3:45 a.m. when his vehicle struck the back of a westbound Toyota Tacoma.

Moreira, 27, of Deer Park, was transported by ambulance to Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow where he was admitted with non-life-threatening injuries. Detectives charged Moreira with DWI and he will be arraigned on a later date, police said.

Moreira’s passenger, Ismelda Rodriguez, 25, of Brentwood, was pronounced dead at the scene by a physician assistant from the Suffolk County Medical Examiner’s office. The driver of the Tacoma, Terry Doughan, 60, of Kings Park, was not injured, police said.

The investigation is continuing. Both vehicles were impounded for a safety check, according to police.

Detectives ask anyone who may have witnessed this crash to call the Vehicular Crime Unit at 631-852-6555. All calls will be kept confidential.

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