Police: Drunk Woman Struck Officer on LIE

A Suffolk County police officer suffered non-life threatening injuries after he was struck on the Long Island Expressway by a Sea Cliff woman who was drunk behind the wheel Tuesday afternoon, police said.

According to police, officer Dennis Hendrickson was standing on the shoulder of the LIE assisting with traffic control efforts following a crash west of exit 56 in Hauppauge that closed all westbound traffic lanes when a 2012 Volkswagen approached him at a high rate of speed at about 2:10 p.m.

Hendrickson signaled for the driver to slow down but the driver, 52-year-old Theresa Finnin-Hunt, disregarded the officer’s signals, police said.

The Volkswagen struck Hendrickson on his right arm and hand as he was attempting to move out of the way, police said.

Finnin-Hunt did not stop and continued westbound on the shoulder, police said. She was stopped on the LIE North Service Road, near Wicks Road, in Brentwood a short time later.

Finnin-Hunt was arrested and charged with first degree reckless endangerment, DWI, leaving the scene of an accident with personal injury, third degree unlawful fleeing of a police officer and reckless driving.

Hendrickson, who is assigned to the Fourth Precinct Community Support Unit, was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital, where he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

Finnin-Hunt will be held at the Fourth Precinct overnight and is scheduled to be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip on Wednesday.

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