Exclusive video shows moment alleged drunk driver slams into Suffolk County police vehicle
Suffolk County police arrested Julio Zelaya, 39, and charged him with felony driving while intoxicated for having a prior drunk driving conviction on his record.
A man with a previous drunk driving conviction is accused of being intoxicated behind the wheel again and slamming into a Suffolk County police vehicle in Copiague last night.
Suffolk County police said Officer Jordan Tozitsky, 32, was driving westbound on Montauk Highway when Julio Zelaya, 39, who was going eastbound, made a left turn onto Hawkins Boulevard, hitting the patrol car around 9:45 p.m.
Exclusive surveillance video given to News 12 shows what Suffolk County police said was Zelaya's car making that turn and hitting the police vehicle before both cars veer towards the sidewalk.
"I heard a screeching sound," Copiague resident Tom Wichern said. "I heard what sounded like an alarm after the fact. I guess it got stuck with how hard he got hit."
Suffolk County police charged Zelaya with felony driving while intoxicated because investigators said he had a prior drunk driving conviction on his record within the last 10 years.
"Somebody hit a cop car drunk; that's very irresponsible," a man driving by the crash scene said.
Around 7 a.m., a police tow truck pulled both cars from the intersection. Hawkins reopened around half an hour later.
Both the driver and officer were taken to Good Samaritan University Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Zelaya is scheduled to be arraigned at a later date.
