A man drunkenly drove his car down the LIRR tracks, MTA officials say.
If you take the Hempstead, Ronkonkoma, Port Jefferson or Oyster Bay branches of the LIRR, chances are your commute yesterday was significantly delayed or even suspended entirely. A man, allegedly drunk, drove his car down the LIRR tracks and stopped there, potentially endangering the lives of the LIRR operators and passengers.
Basilio Hidalgo, 40, from Brooklyn, drove his car onto the LIRR tracks near the Elmont-UBS Arena station and then drove down the tracks for a half mile to the Bellerose Station a little before 5 p.m. on Dec. 8, MTA officials say. The car’s front two tires caught on fire, and had to be put out by the Floral Park Fire Department. Hidalgo’s alleged drive significantly damaged the track, delayed the Ronkonkoma, Port Jefferson, and Oyster Bay branches, and entirely suspended service on the Hempstead Branch while an on-scene investigation took place.
Hidalgo was arrested on the scene and immediately taken into police custody. His car was removed from the tracks at around 8:30 p.m., and service on the Hempstead branch was restored about ten minutes later.
The MTA Police Department is the lead on the investigation and responded to the scene of the incident along with the LIRR Fire Marshall, Nassau County Emergency Services, the Floral Park Fire Department and the Floral Park Police Department. The investigation into how Hidalgo’s car got onto the tracks is in its early stages and is ongoing.
