By The newspaper
Apr 30, 2024, 3:33 PM EDT
Joseph Leonard, a 58-year-old driver, died in police custody after being arrested for causing a minor collision on Long Island (NY).
Apparently he suffered an overdose. The West Islip resident was originally arrested after rear-ending another car that was stopped at a red light around 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Suffolk County police said.
When officers arrived at the scene at Pine Aire Drive and Fifth Avenue in Brentwood, they found Leonard unresponsive behind the wheel of his vehicle. Officers performed first aid and administered Narcan, a drug that reverses overdoses.
Leonard was then arrested and taken to South Shore University Hospital, where he was treated and released into police custody, authorities said, according to Pix11News.
He was later charged with driving while intoxicated and criminal possession of a controlled substance, arrest records show. He also received a citation for driving with a revoked license and was held overnight at the 3rd Precinct in Bay Shore.
On Friday morning, as officers prepared to transport Leonard to court, they found him not breathing in his cell. First aid was administered, but he was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.
The New York State Attorney General’s Office and the Department of Corrections were notified and responded to the scene, as happens when someone dies in police custody.
In the middle of this month, a Latino motorist died in a crash while fleeing from the police. NYPD officers tried to stop him for having an illegal license plate and reckless driving in The Bronx (NYC).
Last week, a 21-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of committing a string of serious crimes by allegedly drunkenly crashing, killing a woman and then fleeing in the patrol car that responded to the scene on Long Island. A 33-year-old driver also pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated when he crashed and caused the death of a Dominican husband and wife on Long Island.
In February Jessica Beauvais (35) was sentenced after being found guilty of fatally running over New York Police (NYPD) Highway Officer Anastasios Tsakos in Queens while driving drunk, drugged and with a suspended license in 2021.
The authorities remember that there is zero tolerance for drivers who drive at excess speed and/or under the influence of alcohol and drugs.
In December, Governor Kathy Hochul signed “Angelica’s Law,” intended to keep drivers with prior suspensions off the road by charging repeat offenders who operate vehicles after committing five or more traffic violations that resulted in a felony. suspensions or revocations.
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