Cops: Greenport man drove drunk with three young children in car, fled scene of Rt. 58 crash

A Greenport man was arrested on a charge of felony DWI under Leandra’s Law after leaving the scene of a crash on Route 58 Monday night, Riverhead Police said.

Juan L. Arevalo-Lopez, 22, operator of a white Honda Civic, was involved in a crash in the area of 1685 Old Country Road, near Commerce Drive, last night just after 8 p.m., according to a police press release issued this morning.  Arevalo-Lopez fled the scene eastbound, police said, and responding officers located his vehicle in the area of 1087 Old Country Road, near the traffic circle, police said.

After an investigation, officers determined that Arevalo-Lopez was operating the vehicle in an intoxicated condition and that he had three passengers under the age of 16 in his vehicle: his 1-year-old daughter and two boys, ages 9 and 10, according to the police report.

Arevalo-Lopez was subsequently charged with DWI in violation of Leandra’s Law, three counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child, and Leaving the Scene of an Accident, police said. He was processed at Riverhead Police Department headquarters and held overnight for morning arraignment. 

Leandra’s Law, also known as the Child Passenger Protection Act, enacted in 2009, is named for 11-year-old Leandra Rosado, of the Bronx, who was killed in October 2009 in a crash on the Henry Hudson Parkway in Manhattan. Leandra was one of seven children in the vehicle operated by a drunk driver. The operator of the vehicle was subsequently convicted of second-degree manslaughter and sentenced to 4 to 12 years in prison.

Driving while intoxicated or impaired with a passenger under age 16 is a Class E Felony, a crime punishable by 1 1/3 to 4 years in state prison.

Editor’s note: A criminal charge is an accusation. A person charged with a crime is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.