ELMONT, N.Y. (1010 WINS) — A state trooper was injured while arresting a man for driving while impaired following a crash on Long Island Sunday morning, authorities said.
At approximately 9 a.m., a trooper responded to a two-car collision on the westbound Southern State Parkway in the vicinity of Exit 13 in Elmont.
Investigators determined that the crash was caused by a Green Honda Odyssey, which was stopped in the middle lane.
The Honda was not directly involved in the collision, but caused other cars to change lanes and collide, cops said.
After the two-car collision was cleared, the trooper approached the Honda Odyssey, which was now moved to the shoulder of the parkway.
The trooper interviewed the driver of the Honda Odyssey, later identified as 35-year-old Kelvin Almonte of Brooklyn.
Based on the interaction, the trooper suspected Almonte was under the influence of alcohol and drugs and conducted a DWI investigation, concluding that Almonte was under the influence.
During the arrest, Almonte became non-compliant, and a struggle ensued. The Trooper was able to subdue Almonte with assistance of an off-duty Nassau County Police Department Sergeant.
Almonte was taken into custody without further incident and was transported to New York State Police SP East Meadow for processing.
The trooper sustained non-life-threatening injuries during the altercation.
Almonte was charged with obstructing governmental administration, resisting arrest, driving while ability impaired and vehicle and traffic law violations.
DWAI stands for "Driving While Ability Impaired" in New York State. It's a criminal offense that can occur when a driver has a blood alcohol content between 0.05% and 0.07%, shows evidence of mental or physical impairment, is impaired by drugs, including prescription drugs or some over-the-counter medications, according to the DMV.
