West Babylon, NY - March 14, 2018 - Suffolk County Police arrested a man after he stole a vehicle and crashed into a police car, seriously injuring an officer in West Babylon on Tuesday, March 13, 2018.
Louis Mancini Jr. stole a 2013 GMC Yukon from Frank’s Delicatessen, located at 1018 Little East Neck Road, West Babylon, NY, at approximately 11:15 a.m.
Approximately thirty minutes later, Mancini Jr. was traveling at a high rate of speed northbound on Straight Path in West Babylon, NY, when he lost control of the vehicle and crashed head on into a police car traveling southbound on Straight Path.
The officer had to be extricated from the vehicle and transported by the North Babylon Fire Department to Nassau University Medical Center. He suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries. Mancini Jr. was transported to Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center in West Islip, with non-life-threatening injuries.
Major Case Unit detectives charged Mancini Jr., 30, of West Babylon, with Driving While Ability Impaired by Drugs, Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle 1st Degree, Assault 2nd Degree, and Grand Larceny 3rd Degree.
Mancini Jr. is scheduled to be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip on March 14, 2018.
A criminal charge is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.