This story was written by Michael Sorrentino. It was posted by Judy Mottl.
The grandfather of a driver arrested Monday for allegedly driving while intoxicated was killed in an East Patchogue car accident on Sunrise Highway Monday, according to Suffolk County Police.
Gary Hendricks, 45, of Mastic, was driving a 1999 Chevrolet suburban westbound with three passengers when his vehicle hit the back of a 1997 GMC truck driven by Jonathan Penaranda, 21 of Patchogue, near Route 112 around 5:15 p.m., according to police. Penaranda and his passenger in the pickup were not injured in the crash.
The Suburban however went onto the shoulder, up an embankment and overturned several times east of Route 112.
Issac Beal, 77, was seated in the backseat and was ejected from the vehicle. Beal was pronounced dead at the scene by a physician assistant from the office of the Suffolk County Medical Examiner. Donald Fowler, 62 of West Babylon, was also in the backseat and airlifted via Suffolk County Police helicopter to Stony Brook University Hospital in critical condition.
Hendricks and frontseat passenger Tina Downes, 47 of Medford, were taken to Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center in East Patchogue with non-life-threatening injuries.
Hendricks was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated and aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle in the first degree, say police.
The incident is under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
