Man Charged With DWI In Fatal Suffolk Crash: Police

HUNTINGTON, NY — A man who drove while drunk and was involved in a Huntington crash that killed his passenger was arrested and charged with DWI early Saturday, Suffolk police said.

Carlos Orellana Mata, 35, of Bay Shore, was driving an Infiniti QX60 eastbound on Route 25, near Verleye Avenue, when he rear-ended a 2019 Volvo tractor-trailer heading eastbound on Route 25 at 12:17 a.m., police said.

Leonel Lopez, 23, of East Northport, who was Orellana Mata's passenger, was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. The tractor-trailer driver, a 38-year-old Newark, New Jersey man, was not injured, police said.

Orellana Mata was treated and released from Good Samaritan University Hospital in West Islip before he was charged with DWI.

Major Case Unit detectives are investigating. Anyone with information was asked to call Major Case at 631-852-6553 or Suffolk County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS.