Police: Copiague Man Driving While Drunk and High Crashes While Fleeing Police

A Copiague man was hospitalized after he crashed into a car while he was trying to escape police while driving drunk and impaired by drugs and almost hitting several pedestrians in East Hampton Village on Sunday night, according to East Hampton Village Police.

Police received a call at about 9 p.m. of an erratic driver traveling westbound on Route 27 coming into East Hampton Village and striking a light pole on Pantigo Road near North Main Street, police said.

Police responded to check the area, found the car by 100 Montauk Highway and when they attempted to stop the car, the driver stopped briefly and then fled, according to police.

Police then chased the car on Montauk Highway by Stephen Hands Path, according to police.

The driver was driving erractically and almost “caused grave injury to uninvolved citizens on the highway”, police said.

The chase ended on Montauk Highway and Bridgehampton/Sag Harbor Turnpike Road when the driver rear ended a car he was trying to pass on the right, police said.

The driver, Thomas Flanagan, 19, was placed in custody and transported to Southampton Hospital to be cleared medically, according to police.

He was released from the hospital and transported back to East Hampton Village Police headquarters for processing.

He was charged with three counts of first degree reckless endangerment, third degree unlawful fleeing from police, driving while intoxicated, first degree driving while impaired by drugs, reckless driving, and leaving the scene of an accident, according to police.