Patchogue Man Drove Wrong Way Drunk On Ocean Parkway: NYS Troopers

WANTAGH, NY — A Patchogue man was caught driving the wrong way on the Meadowbrook and Ocean parkways in Wantagh early Sunday morning, according to the New York State troopers.

Reports were received of a vehicle driving the wrong way on the parkway — traveling southbound in the northbound lanes — while approaching Ocean Parkway in Wantagh, police said, adding, that troopers responded quickly and were able safely stop the vehicle on the Ocean Parkway "to avoid a tragedy."

The car's driver, Brandon Garzon, 24, had a blood alcohol content of .14 percent and was charged with driving while intoxicated, police said. His passenger, Jonathan Escobar, 31, of Las Vegas, NV, was found with cocaine, LSD, cathinone, alprazolam, oxycodone, methamphetamine, and MDMA, according to police.

Both Garzon and Escobar were charged with two counts each of second-degree criminal possession of a controlled, as well as one count each of third-and fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, third-degree criminal possession of cannabis, and two counts of second-degree criminal use of drug paraphernalia, police said.

Garzon and Escobar were scheduled for arraignment in First District Court on Monday. according to police.

In addition to the pair's arrest state police removed another 14 intoxicated and/or impaired drivers from the roadways in Nassau and Suffolk last weekend, as well as over 100 during the month of August, according to a news release.

The troopers will keep prioritizing "removing intoxicated and impaired drivers from the roadways in the interest of safety for the motoring public," a spokesman said in news release.