Officer Jumps Into Moving Vehicle To Stop Mother Driving on Drugs With Baby: Police

MANORVILLE, NY — A highway patrol officer jumped into a moving vehicle to stop a woman driving while impaired by drugs with her baby in the car, police said.

Suffolk County Police arrested Maria Lagatta, 37, of Farmingville on Thursday at 5:35 p.m. and charged her with driving while ability impaired by drugs with her baby in the vehicle after she refused to pull over on the Long Island Expressway in Manorville, authorities said.

Lagatta was charged with driving while ability impaired by drugs, aggravated driving while intoxicated with a child passenger 15 years old or younger, Leandra’s Law, and endangering the welfare of a child, police said.

Lagatta was driving approximately 20 miles per hour eastbound on the Long Island Expressway one mile west of exit 70 when Highway Patrol Officer Joseph Goss attempted to initiate a traffic stop, police said.

Lagatta refused to pull over, police said.

Goss pulled alongside the vehicle and saw a baby in the rear passenger seat; he was able to slow down incoming traffic so they would not get rear-ended, police said. Lagatta then slowed down to approximately five miles per hour, police said.

Goss sped past Lagatta, parked his vehicle on the right shoulder, then jumped into Lagatta’s car through the passenger side window and was able to bring the vehicle to a stop, police said.

Lagatta and her 22-month-old daughter were not injured, police said. The daughter was released to a family member and Child Protective Services were notified, police said.

Lagatta will be held at the Fourth Precinct and is scheduled to be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip on Friday, police said.

The vehicle was impounded for a safety check; Seventh Squad detectives are investigating, police said.